Releasing too late in the year robbed this game of Game Awards nominations, but it's still one of the best of 2025

For a game to be eligible for The Game Awards in the year it was released, it must be released in early to mid-November. Games that launch later can technically be nominated for the following year's Game Awards, but that makes it easier for notable titles to slip through the cracks and get snubbed.

One of the more eye-catching Game Awards dudes was when Chained echoesa brilliant turn-based RPG launched in December 2022, was not nominated for a single award at The Game Awards 2023 despite receiving almost universal critical acclaim. Chained echoes was praised for its narrative and genre innovations, and I'd go so far as to say it's easily one of the best RPGs released in the last five years. Not being nominated for Best Independent Game, Best RPG, or Best Story was a bummer, and perhaps something that wouldn't have happened if it had been eligible in the year it was released.

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Kirby Air Riders was released too late for The Game Awards consideration

The same fate may well await Kirby Air Ridersa Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive that recently launched to positive reviews. Developed by Super Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai, Kirby Air Riders is a sequel to the cult classic GameCube game Kirby Air Ride. Never played Kirby Air RideI went in Kirby Air Riders with low expectations. I wasn't very impressed Kirby Air Riders Nintendo Direct presentations and racing are far from my favorite genre. It's now easily one of my favorite new games of the year, and it's enjoying a lot of buzz from fellow Switch 2 owners online. But despite the positive reception, Kirby Air Riders was not nominated for any awards at The Game Awards, and it all depends on the show's end date.

There is no reality there Kirby Air Riders would be nominated for game of the year. Nor would it be nominated for most other awards, to be perfectly honest. But the game is good enough that, had it been released a little earlier in the year, it probably would have at least been nominated for Best Family Game and Best Sports/Racing Game. I'd personally put it ahead of the popular Switch 2 launch title Mario Kart Worldand that game is nominated in both of those categories.

The case could be made that way Kirby Air Riders deserved a nod in the Best Multiplayer Game category as well. While that award will almost certainly be won by ARC Raiders or Battlefield 6, Kirby Air Riders is an excellent multiplayer experience that deserves some recognition. Except for the single-player Road Trip mode, basically all modes can be played with friends in local multiplayer or against random games online.

I doubt it Kirby Air Riders will be nominated for The Game Awards in 2026, but there is precedent for a Sakura-directed game to receive one next year. In fact, that's exactly what happened in 2018 Super Smash Bros. Ultimatewhich ended up winning Best Fighting Game at The Game Awards 2019.

The progression i Kirby Air Riders is what makes it especially hard to put down. The game uses achievement boards to not only constantly ensure players have something to do, but to reward those who successfully complete their exploits with significant unlockables, such as new racers, tracks and vehicles. I never would have guessed it, though Kirby Air Riders is quickly becoming my most played Switch 2 game.

Other 2025 games that will not be eligible this year

Unfortunately, other late 2025 games will also miss the Game Awards 2025 finale. Kirby Air Riders' other Nintendo games Metroid Prime 4: Beyond will be released on December 4th and will therefore not be nominated at this year's event. If Metroid Prime 4 is just as good as previous entries in the series, but it seems it will have a better chance of being remembered for next year's show, thanks to it being a higher profile game than Kirby Air Ridersif nothing else.

December 2025 doesn't have a ton of brand new game releases, but there are certainly other games that might well have won nominations if they were released a little earlier. I can see Marvel Cosmic Invasion potentially earning a multiplayer nomination if its co-op is fun enough, and Octopath Traveler 0 has potential for the RPG category. Best Art Direction would probably be a good fit for Octopath Traveler 0thanks to its beautiful HD-2D images.

It's a shame these late-year games won't be given their prime at The Game Awards 2025, but they're still definitely worth playing. I personally recommend Kirby Air Riders to all Switch 2 owners looking for something new to play. Even if you don't think it will be up your alley, it may well surprise you.