Forza Horizon 5's The Game Awards controversy explained

Forza Horizon 5 has found itself embroiled in controversy, as the game's developers have expressed their disagreement with The Game Awards nominations. There have been several controversies surrounding this year's Game Awards. From Shadow of the Erdtree The DLC gets a nomination for Game of the Year, because EA Sports College Football 25 is left out of the Best Sports/Racing category, this year's event will already see upheavals. In addition to these decisions, Forza Horizon 5 has thrown shade at the awards show for not including it in a popular category.

On November 18, the official X account for Forza Horizon franchise shared a collage showing off an impressive number of updates since its 2021 launch. Forza Horizon 5The beef with The Game Awards was clarified by the post which said:Forza fans know the best ongoing game this year.” Since this is such a large category for the event, it makes sense for Forza Horizon 5 to wish so much for a nomination, especially after it has had three strong years.

Forza Horizon 5 casts a serious shadow on Game Awards nominations

Games nominated for the 2024 Best Ongoing Game Award

• Destiny 2
• Diablo 4
• Final Fantasy 14
• Fortnite
• Helldivers 2

Clearly, the above list of nominees are all strong contenders in their own right, but Forza Horizon 5 still has a strong case for being worthy of a place in the category. In the same post, Forza Horizon 5 boasted that it has provided more post-launch content than any other game in its entirety Forza franchise. This year too, the racing title has seen significant updates. Back in September, Forza Horizon 5 added Hide and Seek, a wild multiplayer mode that pits one Hider against five Seeker players. Hide and Seek in a racing game sounds like an impossible concept, but Forza Horizon 5 made it happen. Last month's Back to the 90s update also provided some fun nostalgia. Not only has the game continued to provide new content, but each event and update has been quite unique, offering a lot of diversity for players.

Some of the nominated games have been regularly represented in the Best Current Game category, such as Fortnite and Final Fantasy 14 has been a mainstay in recent years. While Forza Horizon 5 has a strong following, it looks like The Game Awards wanted to make room for newcomers Diablo 4 and Helldivers 2.

Diablo 4
got a massive update recently with its
The ship of hate
DLC in step with the launch of season 6.

Forza Horizon 5 continues to prove why it received so many accolades

One of the best games of 2021

Forza Horizon 5 was one of the top-rated games of 2021, and its continued success speaks to why that was the case. Even three years later, Forza Horizon 5 still has a huge player base. According to Statista, as of this year, Forza Horizon 5 has 40 million players worldwide. The combination of Forza Horizon 5s strong reviews and continued growth lend weight to its own claims that it deserved a spot on the list of best ongoing games.

Despite not receiving his long-awaited nomination this year,
Forza Horizon 5
won the Best Sports/Racing category at The Game Awards 2021.

With its fun and unique content updates and high-profile crossovers, such as Halo franchise, it's really surprising that Forza Horizon 5 left out of the category. Of course, there is a possibility that it could have been considered, but at least the game has the bragging rights of its many successes and strong reviews to carry it for years to come. The sting of being left out of a category that felt like a shoo-in is understandable, but there are plenty of other great wins for Forza Horizon 5 to celebrate.