Our way-too-early Game of the Year 2024 predictions

GamesOur way-too-early Game of the Year 2024 predictionsWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

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(Image credit: Supergiant Games)

Hades 2 character

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We’re nowhere close to knowing what 2024’s Game of the Year will be, but that won’t stop us from guessing which ones will thrive come awards season. It’s a competitive year with Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC on its way, Dragon’s Dogma 2, Stalker 2, and an Indiana Jones game that could surprise us all.

We had the PC Gamer staff vote on a list of games for how likely they’ll be showered in Game of the Year awards, be it from The Game Awards or any other outlet other than ourselves. Each voter had to place games on a numerical scale for how confident they are that a game will be worthy of all the awards. We then ranked the games against each other using an average of the scores.

The list of games was pulled from ourMost Wanted listas well as a general2024 release schedule.We stuck to games that are most likely to be released this year. That means the list can’t account for surprise releases from games with no set date or games like Hi-Fi Rush that get announced and come out immediately. Consider this a vibe check for the games we expect to play this year and how strong their appeal will be when it’s time to give out awards.

Below are some of the biggest observations we can make based on the results. There were some surprising scores and some games that I wouldn’t have expected to be so neck-and-neck. And if you just want to see how everything ranks, the full list is below too.

Elden Ring will win a GOTY award again, but for its DLC

(Image credit: FromSoftware)

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC artwork with a character on a horse in a golden field

Score: 3.47 (Likely)No game could garner this much confidence from a single PNG and zero other information than Elden Ring. Its upcomingShadows of the ErdtreeDLC doesn’t even have a release date and everyone at PC Gamer believes it’ll run away with several awards. A huge part of that confidence is surely leftover from how ubiquitous the original game was when it was released in 2022, but real Souls fans know FromSoft always kills it with DLC. Some of the best parts of Dark Souls 1, 2, and 3 are tucked away in the new areas added after release. Elden Ring’s big open world is ripe for expansion too.

Hades 2 will rule, early access or not

(Image credit: Supergiant Games)

Hades 2 character Melinoe with her arms raised facing the viewer

Score: 3.11 (Likely)Ourfavorite action game of 2020has a sequel and it’s due out this year in early access. We strongly believe in the power of a hack-and-slash game full of beautiful gods and goddesses draw in Supergiant’s impeccable style. That we’re gettinga direct sequelat all feels like we’re getting spoiled. Hades wasn’tthe first videogame to win a Hugo Awardfor nothing. Hades 2 might be coming for Elden Ring’s throne, which means we all win.

Dragon’s Dogma’s second time around will be a winner

(Image credit: Capcom)

Dragon’s Dogma 2 screenshot

Score: 2.61 (Unlikely, but possible)

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Dragon’s Dogma deserves a second chance, according to many of PC Gamer’s staff. A whole 12 years have passed since the original game’s release (eight for PC players), and its biggest fans continue to preach about how creative its approach to open world exploration and combat were for the time. After the success of Elden Ring, it seems like more people are willing to put up with an experience that pushes back on your RPG habits and asks that you learn its esoteric systems.Prohibitive fast travelor no, we believe 2024 is the year of Dragon’s Dogma 2.

Stalker 2 will be worth the wait

(Image credit: GSC Game World)

Stalker 2 screenshot - man standing in front of a table with a gun

Score: 3.05 (Likely)For years we’ve waited for a chance to return to the irradiated wastes in Stalker—14 years, in fact. The sequel to the first-person survival horror game was announced in 2010 and went through a pseudo-cancellation, a failed Kickstarter campaign, a reboot, and a few delays due to the war in Ukraine.Stalker 2cannot catch a break. But if it can make itsSeptember release date, we believe it’ll all be worth it.

A Thief-inspired stealth FPS could overshadow Star Wars Outlaws

(Image credit: New Blood)

Red-Clad Gloomwood merchant standing before table full of treasure

Gloomwood score: 2.19 (Unlikely, but possible)Star Wars Outlaws score: 2.05 (Unlikely, but possible)Come December, we might be chatting more about a survival horror stealth FPS rather thanUbisoft’s open world Star Wars game.Gloomwoodcontinues to floor us with every update and we’re guessing it might take off when it leaves early access this year. New Blood Interactive has nailed the gothic vibes and creative gameplay that few games pull off anymore. There’s a world where the immersive sim hunger is satiated and Gloomwood takes over this year.

Indiana Jones shows promise, but nobody is certain how good it’ll be

(Image credit: Bethesda Softworks)

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

Score: 2.00 (Unlikely, but possible)MachineGames surprised us with theIndiana Jones and the Great Circletrailer last week—so much so, that we had to recast our votes. The new score didn’t earn it first place, but it reflects a drop in some of our skepticism since the trailer’s release. Indiana Jones has surprise hit potential as long as the Nazi punching and whip swinging are actually fun, and if Troy Baker can maintain his best Harrison Ford impression for the entire thing. MachineGames has embedded sharp narrative cores into the Wolfenstein games. The question is whether it can do the same here.

In a Palworld world, Ark 2 will struggle to make a splash

(Image credit: Studio Wildcard)

Ark 2 - Vin Diesel riding a dinosaur

Destiny fans are losing hope for The Final Shape

(Image credit: Bungie)

Images from The Final Shape showcase

Score: 0.40 (Pessimistic)Of the people who care about Destiny 2 here, few of them believe in The Final Shape. The last expansion,Lightfall, wasn’t so hot, and with alast-minute delay, The Final Shape’s ability to turn the game around seems slim. And while it’s already unlikely that a live service expansion would pick up multiple awards, The Final Shape’s exceptionally low score on our list suggests that it won’t even be enough to wow its own fans.

Suicide Squad will compete with Skull and Bones as the biggest disappointment of the year

(Image credit: Rocksteady)

Harley Quinn

The full list

(Image credit: Blackbird Interactive)

An assembled fleet of different classes of combat vessels, gathered in a planet’s upper atmosphere in Homeworld 3.

The results

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Elden Ring will win a GOTY award again, but for its DLC#

Hades 2 will rule, early access or not#

Dragon’s Dogma’s second time around will be a winner#

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals#

Stalker 2 will be worth the wait#

A Thief-inspired stealth FPS could overshadow Star Wars Outlaws#

Indiana Jones shows promise, but nobody is certain how good it’ll be#

In a Palworld world, Ark 2 will struggle to make a splash#

Destiny fans are losing hope for The Final Shape#

Suicide Squad will compete with Skull and Bones as the biggest disappointment of the year#

The full list#

The results#