The Game Awards 2022features a Player’s Voice category that allows gamers to pick their own Game of the Year, but it has caused significant controversy thanks to angryGenshin ImpactandSonic Frontiersfans.The Game AwardsPlayer’s Voice category featured three rounds of voting, withElden Ring,Genshin Impact,God of War Ragnarok,Sonic Frontiers, andStrayall battling it out for the prize in Round 3.
Sonic Frontiershad been well ahead of the competition in the Player’s Voice voting, but that suddenly changed whenGenshin Impactmanaged to rally and take the lead. Since this has happened, there’s been a lot of toxicity online betweenGenshin ImpactandSonicfans, with accusations hurled about bot use and cheating. There’s also been accusations thatGenshin Impacthas effectively bribed its fans to vote for it because in the past the developers have rewarded the community withPrimogemswhen the live service gacha game has won awards.
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The Game Awards stopped showing the live results for the Player’s Voice voting, perhaps as a response to the toxicity. The last time the results were visible, though,Genshin Impacthad a sizable lead overSonic Frontiers, whileElden Ring,God of War Ragnarok, andStraydidn’t even have 15% of the vote combined. Regardless of which game one thinks deserves to win the Player’s Voice award, though, it’s hard to make an argument thatGenshin Impactshould be in contention at all, and it has nothing to do with its quality or the quality ofSonic Frontiers.
The simple fact isGenshin Impactdid not release in 2022, so it doesn’t make sense for it to be a part of the Player’s Voice category at The Game Awards this year. The other games up for the award were all titles that launched in 2022, whereasGenshin Impactlaunched in 2020. This has been apoint of contention withSonicfanswho are frustrated that their chosen game is losing to a title that didn’t even release in 2022.
Of course, one could make the argument that neitherGenshin ImpactnorSonic Frontiersreally deserve to win.Sonic Frontiersreviewswere mixed, and while some have hailed it as one of the best 3DSonicgames in years, it’s still bizarre to see it thrashing the likes ofElden RingandGod of War Ragnarokin Player’s Voice voting.Elden RingandGod of War Ragnarokare the two highest-rated and best-selling new game releases of 2022, whereasSonic Frontiersreviews were middle of the road at best.
It is the Player’s Voice category, though, so critic opinions don’t matter as much. In any case,SonicandGenshin Impactfanswill have to tune in to The Game Awards on December 8 to see which game ultimately comes out on top.
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