Is The Game Awards Finally Ready for a Double Dose of Indie Wizardry? Hades 2 & Silksong Are About to Force Their Hand!
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
This year's Game Awards could be historic, with *Hades 2* and *Silksong* poised to finally break The Game Awards' long-standing habit of largely ignoring indie games for the coveted Game of the Year nomination. While it highlights a shift in the gaming landscape, I'm gently skeptical if it's true open-mindedness or if these indie 'blockbusters' simply became too big to ignore.
Right, so we're all familiar with The Game Awards, aren't we? That annual spectacle where we gather 'round, pop some popcorn, and watch Geoff Keighley try to tame the chaos of the gaming universe. It’s a grand old time, full of flashy trailers, heartfelt speeches, and the occasional awkward moment that lives on as a meme forever more. But then inevitably, we all scratch our heads wondering where all the truly independent gems vanished to in the coveted Game of the Year category.
Bloody hell, it's a bit of a pattern, isn't it? For all the talk of celebrating innovation and artistic merit, TGA has historically given indie games the equivalent of a polite nod and a pat on the head before turning its attention back to the triple-A behemoths. An indie has *never* actually bagged the top prize – unless you count Larian's lavish, self-published *Baldur's Gate 3*, which, fair dinkum, felt more like a studio-grown epic than your typical indie darling. (Even TGA seemed a bit confused, not nominating it for 'Best Independent Game'.)
As my astute colleague Oli Welsh over at Polygon recently highlighted, the scarcity of indie-game nominees for TGA’s big prize is telling. In the awards’ entire history, there have only been five instances of games nominated in *both* Game of the Year and Best Independent Game: *Inside*, *Celeste*, *Hades*, *Stray*, and *Balatro*. And here's the kicker: there have *never* been more than two such games in a single year. Never. Not once. It's like there's been some invisible barrier, a magical ward preventing more than a pair of independent champions from entering the grand arena. But, if my digital tea leaves are reading correctly, that ward is about to be shattered in 2025 by two absolute titans: *Hades 2* and *Hollow Knight: Silksong*.
Let's talk about *Hades 2*, shall we? Like a perfectly brewed potion, it's been bubbling away in early access, and now it's burst forth with a critical reception that would make a dragon blush. We're talking Metacritic and OpenCritic scores settling around a dazzling 93 – almost exactly where the original, much-lauded *Hades* landed. What it might 'lack' in pure novelty (being a sequel, after all), it more than makes up for in sheer, unadulterated quality and the unanimity of critical praise. Critics, players, even the local pub philosopher – everyone seems to agree it’s an absolute banger. And let's not forget, the first *Hades* got its GOTY nomination in 2020 but was controversially pipped by *The Last of Us Part 2*. You reckon some jury members might be keen to correct that perceived snub? I certainly wouldn’t put it past them. It has pedigree, it has polish, and it's got a community already singing its praises. It's not just a sequel; it's an evolution, a masterclass in 'more of the good stuff, but better'.
Then there's *Silksong*. Ah, *Silksong*. The elusive beast, whispered about in hushed tones for what feels like a lifetime. Its launch was less a game release and more a digital earthquake, shaking the very foundations of the gaming world. Polygon noted its reception has been 'mixed' (though only slightly, if you ask me, seeing the hype machine it’s been battling), but its official review rating of 92 is hardly shabby. After seven years of fan-made hype that could fuel a small country, the sheer cultural weight of this game is undeniable. While Team Cherry, the wizards behind this masterpiece, haven't spilled the beans on sales, analysts are estimating a whopping 3.2 million copies sold on Steam alone. And its peak concurrent players? A mind-boggling 587,150 on Steam, dwarfing pretty much every other potential GOTY contender save for the mighty *Monster Hunter Wilds*. Popularity isn't the *only* thing at The Game Awards, of course, but as we saw with *Baldur's Gate 3* and *Elden Ring*, it certainly helps shift the scales, mate.
Now, here’s where my gently skeptical wizard brain starts to hum. Both of these games possess the scale, the critical acclaim, and the sheer player numbers that make them practically unignorable. They are, alongside *Clair Obscur*, currently two of the highest-rated games of the year. So, it genuinely does feel like a dead cert that the TGA jury's longstanding mental block when it comes to indie games – limiting them to one or two nominations, if that – is finally going to break. We're probably looking at a world where *Hades 2* and *Silksong* both get a nod.
But here’s the rub, and it’s a big one. As Polygon rightly points out, this likely double-nomination is the result of an 'extremely rare confluence' – not to call it a fluke, but it’s certainly not an everyday occurrence. We’re talking about two massively anticipated indie mega-sequels, both predecessors of which were critically acclaimed and adored, landing not just in the same *year* but the same *month*. You could argue they’ve been 'grandfathered' into the category, their sheer size and legacy making them too gargantuan to fit the traditional 'indie' mould in the jury's eyes, even though their bona fides are impeccable: self-published by relatively small teams, adhering to that indie ethos and aesthetic. It feels less like the jury suddenly found courage and more like these two games became so big they simply couldn’t be ignored. The jury's probably still going to give them a nod in the 'Best Independent Game' category, because, well, that's where indies *belong*, right?
A true sign of courage, and the adventurousness of TGA's taste, would be if they also threw in a third GOTY nomination for a less famous but equally acclaimed game like *Blue Prince*. But let’s be honest, that’s probably asking too much, like hoping my spell for infinite chips actually works without turning me into a badger. Still, all caveats aside, it’s undeniably notable and welcome that the days of TGA's single-indie-GOTY-nominee limit are numbered. This isn't just about *Hades 2* and *Silksong*; it's about the bigger picture. When you throw *Clair Obscur* into the mix – an original AA game from a first-time developer and a decidedly non-mainstream publisher – the 2025 Game Awards could genuinely be a watershed moment.
With AAA production reportedly at an all-time low (and honestly, mate, some of those big studios are making me wonder if they're even *trying* these days), other developers and publishers are stepping up, filling the gap with creative, impactful experiences. Players are finding their new totems elsewhere, gravitating towards games that offer fresh ideas, genuine passion, and a sense of community. In this wild new world, indie games aren't just niche darlings; they can be blockbusters. And it seems The Game Awards might finally, begrudgingly, have to admit it. So, will TGA finally cast off its traditional shackles and acknowledge the sheer, unadulterated wizardry of these independent titans? Only time will tell, but it's shaping up to be one hell of a show, eh?
Tags: Gaming Awards, Indie Games, Game of the Year, Hades 2, Silksong
Original article: Polygon