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

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:

I WAS FUCKING JOKING??? XENOBLADE 3 GOT NOMINATED FOR GAME OF THE YEAR?? I WAS JOKINGGGGGGG pic.twitter.com/H49PiDkZfSNovember 14, 2022

Holy shit can't believe Xenoblade 3 is gonna win game of the year pic.twitter.com/w8zpHLy69GNovember 14, 2022

XENOBLADE CHRONICLES 3 NOMINATED FOR GAME OF THE YEAR.GEOFF KEIGHLEY REDEMPTION ARC?🤨November 14, 2022

FOR EVERYONE WHO SAID IT WOULDN’T HAPPEN NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS.XENOBLADE 3 NOMINATED FORGAME OF THE YEARBEST ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACKBEST JRPGWE HAVE WON pic.twitter.com/lBOis9wth3November 14, 2022

XENOBLADE CHRONICLES 3 GOTY IM SHAKING pic.twitter.com/dvZWTBfx5RNovember 14, 2022

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.