2021 was another rough year for video games that had more release delays and titles that required some serious patching, but was it so bad that award shows are scrambling to fill the nominee lists? It seems so with several of the finalists for the 25th Annual DICE Awards selected by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. The Load Screen covers which titles received questionable nominations and one surprise game that missed out entirely on the DICE Awards.

Although there is strong competition for awards like Game of the Year, other categories missed out on the action. While the 25th Annual DICE Awards finalist page has the full list of finalists, it also shows that two awards have less than five nominees: Fighting Game of the Year and Racing Game of the Year. However, other categories had competitors that were controversial or problematic.

Both Outstanding Achievement in Animation and Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction have the same nominees, and one of them is Call of Duty: Vanguard. Despite the recommendations for art and animations, articles like Inverse’s Call of Duty: Vanguard Multiplayer Makes a Compelling Case for Video Game Delays show the game had issues from the start. While Screen Rant’s Why Call of Duty: Vanguard’s Release is So Muted shows the challenges caused by the publisher Activision for the title developed by Sledgehammer Games. In fact, the problems with Vanguard are so bad that the Call of Duty developers made a public Twitter apology. The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences could have reduced the competition size or included almost any other game.

But hold on to your seats; the Academy was brazened enough to nominate Battlefield 2042 for the Outstanding Technical Achievement. The remaining nominees: Forza Horizon 5, Moncage, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and Returnal all belong in this category, but the latest title from Electronic Arts featuring physics-defying hovercrafts? According to the Screen Rant Battlefield 2042 is a Buggy Mess at Launch article, the game had massive issues for those who paid extra for early access. The developer DICE has not been able to cure those woes so much that even cheaters are leaving. Two articles recently listed on TheGamer show how bad the situation has gotten: Battlefield 2042 is So Unpopular Even the Cheaters are Playing Battlefield 5 and followed by Battlefield 2042 Cheat Provider is Pulling Support. Cheaters are leaving while the game gets a technical nomination.

Developers for every award finalist put a tremendous amount of time and effort into making them, but other titles were left aside that also came out in 2021. Just look at the IO Interactive’s Hitman 3 review for a game deserving a nomination for Outstanding Technical Achievement, Outstanding Achievement in Animation, or Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction. Agent 47 may not have won any of those awards, but at least he didn’t come out broken. The stealth assassin title did not even garner a nod for the Action Game of the Year, but Neon Giant’s The Ascent did? Check out our The Ascent Review for how awkward the action was for that game at release. Even after waiting six months and reinstalling it, the title still carries the same issues.

Other awards are not free from controversy; the Sports Game of the Year has nominations for EA Sports FIFA 22 and NBA2K22 from 2K Games. The soccer title from EA has left players vulnerable on top of gameplay issues, and The Pitch Notes FIFA 22 – Account Takeover update article shows that the problem was so bad it required a full statement. Further questions may have led to the release of FIFA set to Widen Gaming and Esports Portfolio article on their official website without mentioning Electronic Arts once. At least it is not “A shakedown disguised as a basketball game that is growing as tired as it is exploitative,” as the sub-headline reads from this NBA 2K22: The Kotaku Review.

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences had the option of trimming categories as they did with Fighting Game of the Year and Racing Game of the Year. Instead, they chose to nominate Call of Duty: Vanguard, Battlefield 2042, EA Sports FIFA 22, and NBA 2K22. Each has unique issues that the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences should have considered before nominating them. In any case, the Game of the Year list is solid. If you want to find out who the winners are, check out the 25th Annual DICE Awards IGN Livestream on February 24th.