Cyberpunk 2077 fans debate if it would win GOTY over Baldur’s Gate 3 if released this year

Cyberpunk 2077’s reinvention has been nothing short of miraculous, with a strong finish in 2023. With how this year played out, one fan thinks it would’ve claimed Game of the Year over Baldur’s Gate 3, had it released in its current state.

Since its launch in 2020, Cyberpunk 2077‘s uphill battle and how it’s conquered said battle has been a story like no other. What launched as a buggy, broken mess has completely flipped the script after years of extensive support.

This year alone saw the arrival of the Phantom Liberty expansion, which received rave reviews across the board, and the 2.0 update, which completely overhauled many of the game’s systems.

With the current state of Cyberpunk 2077 being near ideal, some fans think it would’ve stolen Game of the Year away from the winner of 2023 had it released in this state.

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Cyberpunk 2077 fan argues the game would’ve won GOTY in 2023

For the unaware, 2023’s Game of the Year battle was rather tight, with the likes of Spider-Man 2, Alan Wake 2, and Baldur’s Gate 3 battling for the crown. Baldur’s Gate 3 won the title, deservedly so, after an insane arrival not many could’ve predicted, blending incredible performances, player freedom, and Dungeons & Dragons into a package like no other.

However, in the Cyberpunk subreddit, one player argued Cyberpunk 2077 would’ve stolen the crown from Baldur’s Gate 3. “Don’t get me wrong, I thought Baldur’s Gate 3 was amazing, but Cyberpunk probably would’ve swept it for having the more mainstream gameplay and setting,” they stated.

What happens next is a bit of a recap of the game’s history and the poster sharing: “I’d say it’s one of the best open-world games to release this decade along with the likes of Red Dead 2 and the new Zeldas.”

Not everyone agreed with the poster’s thoughts, and as you can imagine, many argued Baldur’s Gate 3 still would’ve won. The consensus was similar to this response: “It would’ve gotten praised for sure, but it absolutely was not beating BG3 for GOTY. I’ve loved Cyberpunk since its launch, bugs and all, but BG3 is the new standard in gaming now in my book.”

In all fairness, Cyberpunk 2077 did claim the crown of “Best Ongoing Game,” although that raised plenty of questions amongst many communities. That said, the real winners here are the players, since fans of both Cyberpunk 2077 and Baldur’s Gate 3 were treated to an incredible year of gaming.

We rated Baldur’s Gate 3 a perfect score, citing it as “one of the best RPGs ever made.“