Shroud criticises Game Awards as “rigged” after Arc Raiders misses Game of the Year nomination

Shroud calls the 2025 Game Awards “rigged” after Arc Raiders is left out of the Game of the Year nominees

Twitch streamer Michael ‘shroud’ Grzesiek has repeated his long-held criticism of The Game Awards after Arc Raiders failed to secure a Game of the Year nomination. Shroud had encouraged his viewers to support Embark Studios’ title ahead of the announcement, but the game did not appear in the final shortlist.

Shroud’s push for Arc Raiders prompted mixed reactions, with some agreeing with him while others disagreed. Fellow streamer Asmongold questioned the campaign, saying Arc Raiders does not compare to what he called the “generational” Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Shroud has previously accused the awards of being “rigged”, particularly after Black Myth: Wukong did not win in 2024. During the 2025 nominee reveal, he reacted similarly when the Game of the Year contenders were presented.

“Bias. Bias paid off Nintendo,” he said on stream after seeing Death Stranding 2 and Donkey Kong Bananza nominated. He referenced Geoff Keighley’s known friendship with Hideo Kojima and commented on Nintendo’s influence in the industry.

When Arc Raiders did not make the list, shroud face-palmed and suggested that audiences might not yet be receptive to the game’s use of AI. “They’re just not ready, but at least they nominated it for something,” he added, referring to Arc Raiders appearing in the Best Multiplayer Game category. He said he had expected it to be excluded entirely due to potential backlash.

Shroud went on to describe the event as “yet another rigged year” and predicted that Expedition 33 would dominate, saying, “We know Expedition is going to win. It’s going to win like 12 categories.”

Despite his frustration, he joked about supporting Donkey Kong Bananza, saying he would cast a vote for it and questioning the credibility of the awards if it won.

The Game Awards will stream on December 11 2025, and shroud has said he will play whichever title wins Game of the Year.