The anticipation for The Game Awards is reaching a fever pitch as fans eagerly await to cast their votes for the coveted Players’ Voice award. Unlike the main awards decided by critics and industry experts, this category empowers gamers to choose their favorite game of the year. With the initial round of nominations just announced, players have until December 4 at 3 p.m. EST to participate by casting their 10 votes from a selection of 30 nominees.

While many of the nominees align with those recognized in the jury-voted categories, some surprising choices are raising eyebrows. Titles that boast loyal fan bases but have received little critical praise are making their presence known in this initial round. Notably, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom appears with nominations for Best Family Game and Best Action/Adventure, despite expectations of a more prominent recognition. Other contenders like Palworld and Sonic X Shadow Generations shockingly received no nominations in any major categories.

Adding to the discussion is the inclusion of No Man’s Sky, a game that, despite its tumultuous launch in 2016, has seen a remarkable resurgence thanks to two significant updates this year. The Omega update in particular transformed gameplay dynamics, allowing it to resonate with fans again.

Among these noteworthy nominations, there's a glaring absence of independent titles, with Balatro by LocalThunk standing alone as the only indie game represented. This raises questions about the visibility of smaller developers in an increasingly competitive industry where fan votes can sway outcomes dramatically.

Here’s a complete look at the Players’ Voice nominees:

- Astro Bot

- Balatro

- Black Myth: Wukong

- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

- Dragon Age: The Veilguard

- Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero

- Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

- Final Fantasy XIV

- Fortnite

- Genshin Impact

- Helldivers 2

- League of Legends

- The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

- Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth

- Metaphor: ReFantazio

- Mobile Legends: Bang Bang

- No Man’s Sky

- Palworld

- Persona 3 Reload

- Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2

- Silent Hill 2

- Sonic X Shadow Generations

- Stellar Blade

- Wuthering Waves

- Valorant

- Warframe

- Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2

- Zenless Zone Zero