JRPG fans wig out as Xenoblade Chronicles 3 goes up against Elden Ring for The Game Awards' GOTY award

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Unsurprisingly, Horizon Forbidden West and God of War Ragnarok are also dominating the nomination list

Xenoblade Chronicles 3
(Image credit: Nintendo)

The Game Awards' 2022 nominations list is here, and it's crowded with the year's most talked about triple-A titles, including Elden Ring, God of War Ragnarok, and Horizon Forbidden West - but the year's dark horse nomination for Game of the Year is one meaty JRPG, as Xenoblade Chronicles 3 has officially been nominated for The Game Awards' Game of the Year.

Elden Ring, unsurprisingly, is a likely shoe-in for the award, although God of War Ragnarok is a very strong challenger. Horizon Forbidden West is another solid contender that we're not at all surprised to see on the list of GOTY nominations. But the fact that Xenoblade Chronicles 3 not only notched a nomination for GOTY but is also in the running for several other awards, including Best Score and Best RPG, is inciting a rallying cry from the impassioned JRPG community. Just look at all these anime profile pictures absolutely losing it:

Out of respect for transparency, I'm among the many chuffed to see a true-blue JRPG - complete with a melodramatic mecha anime storyline and an irresponsibly cluttered UI - go up against behemoths like Elden Ring and God of War. Do I have the gall to predict it'll win GOTY? Probably not, but hey, it's an honor just to be nominated.

The Game Awards 2022 is a live event streaming from LA on December 8. Head here to see the full list of nominations and vote for your favorite.

Looking ahead, here are some new games of 2022 to add to your wishlist now.

Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick
Staff Writer

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.