Game Awards nominees unable to attend as developers report limited free access

Developers nominated for The Game Awards have reported that many cannot afford to attend the ceremony, despite their work being central to the event. Accounts from studios across the industry describe limited ticket allocations, rising costs, and confusion around access for nominees.

In contrast to earlier award shows, developers recalled that travelling to prestigious ceremonies once involved full employer support. Harvey Smith and Raphael Colantonio reflected on attending the 2012 Spike Video Game Awards on a Bethesda-chartered private jet, noting how significant the experience felt at the time.

The current landscape differs markedly, with developers citing industry layoffs, studio closures, and tighter budgets as contributing factors.

Multiple developers said The Game Awards provides only two complimentary tickets per nominated studio. Additional tickets must be purchased at standard public prices, and some reported paying several hundred dollars each.

One developer noted their team received two free tickets, but the remaining attendees had to buy seats at full cost and were seated separately within the venue. A lead designer nominated in 2024 said they purchased their own ticket for around $700 to ensure they did not miss the event.

Sandfall Interactive, whose title Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 secured a record 12 nominations this year, was reported to have purchased extra tickets at approximately $300 each to allow more of its team to attend. Some developers said the cost of travel and accommodation made attendance unrealistic even with a nomination.

General public ticket sales opened before the nominations were announced, which developers said made securing seats more difficult. Some nominated contributors, no longer employed by their original studios, turned to the seat filler programme to attend at no cost.

Industry members acknowledged the visibility The Game Awards provides, but several contrasted the experience with other ceremonies such as the BAFTA Game Awards, where they said nominees felt more central to the event.