Xbox Exclusives Shut Out of Game of the Year Contention for 15 Years
For the 15th consecutive year, no Xbox exclusive title has been nominated for Game of the Year at The Game Awards. This streak, stretching back to 2010, highlights a consistent challenge for Microsoft in achieving industry recognition for its frist-party games, despite important investment in studios and the Xbox Game Pass service.
While titles available on Game pass have received nominations in 2025 – including Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, death Stranding 2: On The Beach, Donkey Kong Bananza, Hades II, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and kingdom Come: deliverance II – none are exclusive to the Xbox platform.
Prior to the establishment of The Game Awards, Xbox titles like Halo: Reach and Mass Effect 2 garnered critical acclaim. However,since the event became the industry’s leading awards show,Xbox exclusives have been consistently absent from the Game of the Year nominations,a contrast to the regular presence of competitors like PlayStation and Nintendo.This absence is a source of frustration for fans of the Xbox brand, despite the release of numerous well-received games.
