Elden Ring has been somewhat divisive, with some praising the game for its innovative multiplayer mechanics and others criticizing the game for its lack of accessibility and balance issues. But regardless of the opinions, this year's BAFTA Games Awards was full of surprises when Elden Ring won the award for Best Multiplayer. This win is especially shocking when compared to the competition, which featured juggernauts like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Overwatch 2, and Splatoon 3. It's worth noting that God of War Ragnarok, the year's most decorated title, didn't take home the Best Game award either, with Vampire Survivors taking the prize.
Elden Ring's Best Multiplayer win is particularly notable considering the game's single-player focus. FromSoftware has been refining the multiplayer and cooperative elements of its titles since Demon's Souls, but the company's products often face criticism when it comes to multiplayer. The game was nonetheless nominated nine times, tying with Stray and finishing second to God of War Ragnarok. But it was Elden Ring that took home the Best Multiplayer award, surprising many in the industry.
This isn't the first time a game has won an award that might not have fit its genre. In 2022, Sifu was nominated for the Best Fighting category at the Game Awards, despite not containing the same traditional fighting elements as Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, or Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. While it was ultimately beaten by MultiVersus, it still highlighted the fact that some titles can win awards even if they don't conform to the standard set for that category.
In conclusion, Elden Ring's Best Multiplayer win at the BAFTA Games Awards is one of the most talked about awards of the night, and it's fascinating to consider that a single-player focused game was able to beat out titles that are built largely around multiplayer gameplay. This isn't the first time a game has won an award that might not have necessarily fit its genre, and it’s proof that even unconventional titles can be acclaimed by awards ceremonies. It will be interesting to see what the future holds.