GOTY Debate Heats Up as Shroud and Asmongold Clash Over Arc Raiders and Expedition 33

The Game Awards 2025 are just a few weeks away, and streamers are already sparking heated debates over which title deserves to be crowned Game of the Year.

Asmongold Slams Shroud for Backing Arc Raiders Without Playing Expedition 33

It all began when Michael “Shroud” Grzesiek, one of Twitch’s biggest FPS streamers, rallied his community to vote for Arc Raiders as Game of the Year 2025. During a recent livestream, Shroud told his viewers, “We gotta make sure that this game wins Game of the Year. Do not let that Expedition game [Clair Obscur: Expedition 33] win.” He went on to call multiplayer gamers “the minority,” emphasizing how important it was for them to unite behind the game.

Now, for those who’ve been following Shroud, this isn’t surprising. He’s been obsessed with Embark Studios’ Arc Raiders ever since its explosive release on October 30, 2025. In fact, according to SullyGnome, he streamed over 70 hours of the game in just six days. He even admitted that he’s “never voted for anything ever” before, but this time, he plans to make an exception.

Shroud’s passionate defense of Arc Raiders came as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 by Sandfall Interactive continues to dominate critical discussions as the frontrunner for GOTY. Other major contenders include Hades 2, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, and Blue Prince. But the way Shroud sees it, multiplayer gamers rarely get their due, and he’s determined to change that narrative this year.

However, not everyone agrees. Popular MMO streamer Asmongold quickly fired back after hearing Shroud’s comments. While watching the clip on his own stream, Asmon was visibly shocked to find out that Shroud hadn’t even played Expedition 33. “You motherf**ker! You didn’t even play the game!” he exclaimed. “It’s an FPS with free aim—he’d love it.”

Asmongold didn’t hold back. He argued that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is "a generational" masterpiece that will be remembered for decades," while Arc Raiders, in his words, “is a sandcastle on the beach that’ll get washed away when the next big game comes out.” Despite their opposing opinions, both streamers did agree on one thing: the awards themselves might be “rigged.”

According to Shroud, “All the f***ing awards are rigged anyway, who cares? When have you ever seen an award that’s actually legit?” It’s not the first time he’s voiced this opinion. Last year, he claimed the show was fixed after Black Myth: Wukong didn’t take home the big trophy.

As for the voting process, The Game Awards, organized by Geoff Keighley, relies on a mix of votes from a global jury of media outlets and public fan voting. While Keighley has previously considered making the process entirely fan-driven, he’s admitted concerns about “social engineering.” Still, fans can fully control the outcome in the Players’ Voice category, which is 100% community-voted.

What about you? Do you think multiplayer titles deserve more love at The Game Awards, or is Shroud overhyping Arc Raiders? Share your thoughts in the comments and follow Gaming Amigos on X and Bluesky for more updates leading up to the big night.