The Game Awards has officially killed its Future Class program without fanfare or announcement, quietly removing all references from its website and leaving no trace except through internet archives. The initiative, which launched in 2020 with great ambition to spotlight 50 rising stars representing the “bright, bold and inclusive future of video games,” is now dead – the victim of controversy, tokenization complaints, and creator Geoff Keighley’s apparent discomfort with award winners speaking out on social issues.
What Was Future Class?
Launched in 2020 at a moment when the gaming industry was grappling with systemic discrimination and sexism, Future Class aimed to elevate diverse talent that wouldn’t have traditionally been spotlighted by gaming’s glitzy marketing machine. Each year, The Game Awards selected 50 emerging creators – designers, artists, programmers, writers, and other professionals – who represented the industry’s future. It wasn’t just an honorary title. The program promised networking opportunities, mentorship, and visibility for people working to change gaming from within.
For its first three years, Future Class seemed to be achieving its mission. Diverse voices got elevated. Emerging creators received industry recognition. The 2020, 2021, and 2022 cohorts were celebrated and given platforms. But by 2023, cracks were already appearing in the facade of what the program actually delivered.
The 2023 Letter That Changed Everything
In late 2023, several Future Class members signed a letter urging The Game Awards to use its platform to speak out about the humanitarian crisis facing Palestinians amid Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza. The letter stated: “You gave us the role of ambassadors of a better future – as such, our duty towards you and all the players world-wide compels us to speak up.” They also called out the industry for routinely dehumanizing Black and brown people, asking creators to do better.
The letter was ignored. No response came from Keighley or The Game Awards organization. When one 2023 Future Class member, narrative designer Meghna Jayanth, attempted to use a platform at the Golden Joysticks to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, she was removed from presenting. The message was clear: the awards show wanted diversity in appearance, not in messaging.
Tokenization Complaints and Lack of Support
According to reporting from Game Developer and Wired, Future Class members began voicing frustrations about the program’s true nature. Some felt the entire initiative was performative tokenization – they were invited to look good on stage and in promotional materials, but their actual concerns were ignored and their input unwelcome. Keighley only agreed to meet with members days after the 2023 ceremony, and even then the conversation was described as dismissive rather than genuine dialogue.
Beyond the political dismissal, members reported practical problems. The program offered limited logistical support for attending the awards ceremony. There was no compensation for mentoring incoming members. Some complained of insufficient networking opportunities despite the program’s core promise of career development. For a program supposedly designed to support rising talent, it delivered remarkably little actual support.
The Silent Cancellation
In 2024, instead of announcing a new Future Class cohort, The Game Awards simply didn’t hold it. No official announcement explained the decision. No statement acknowledged the hiatus. The program just… disappeared. Now, in 2025, Future Class organizer Emily Weir has confirmed there are no plans for a new cohort and “no active programming plans for Future Class.” This comes as confirmation only because someone in the Future Class Discord asked directly and demanded clarity.
Worse, all mention of the Future Class program has been scrubbed from The Game Awards official website. The only proof that the initiative ever existed is through the Wayback Machine internet archives. 2023 Future Class member Emma Kidwell pointed this out on social media, noting how damning it looks for an organization to literally erase five years of promising to uplift 50 incredible developers each year.
The Real Message Behind the Silence
The quiet cancellation sends a message louder than any official announcement could: The Game Awards wanted the optics of diversity without the reality. They wanted rising stars who would smile for the camera and accept their recognition gracefully. They didn’t want members who would speak up about humanitarian crises, use platforms for activism, or question why their promised mentorship never materialized. When the 2023 Future Class dared to do what “ambassadors of a better future” logically should do – advocate for that better future – The Game Awards responded by killing the program.
Geoff Keighley has made no public statement about the cancellation. He was asked for comment but hasn’t responded. The absence of comment is telling. If there were legitimate reasons for discontinuing the program, a brief statement could have been issued. The silence indicates knowing this decision looks bad and hoping nobody notices.
The Broader Pattern
This isn’t isolated. The gaming industry has a consistent pattern: announce diversity initiatives with fanfare, celebrate them for a few years, then quietly abandon them when they become inconvenient or when members dare to use their platforms for anything other than grateful acceptance. The Game Awards isn’t uniquely guilty of this, but they’re unusually brazen about it – literally erasing the program from their website suggests they hope people forget it ever existed.
Meanwhile, Keighley introduced a “Game Changer” award in 2024 that went to Amir Satvat, a Tencent business director who covered industry layoffs. It’s unclear if this award will continue or if it’s just another performative gesture. The timing suggests The Game Awards wanted to appear engaged with industry issues while safely eliminating the program that had actually put rising creators on equal footing with corporate interests.
What This Costs the Industry
The cancellation of Future Class represents a missed opportunity in an industry desperately needing visible diversity and mentorship for rising talent. 2025 has been a brutal year for gaming – record layoffs, studio closures, entire departments eliminated. New voices were entering an industry in crisis. Having a platform to highlight emerging talent could have provided hope and visibility. Instead, The Game Awards chose erasure.
For marginalized folks in gaming, recognition matters. Accolades provide validation and career momentum that people from privileged backgrounds often take for granted. Losing access to even archived posts about their achievements feels like being erased twice – first from the present, then from the past.
The Game Awards 2025
The Game Awards returns December 11, 2025, with its annual celebration of the industry. There will be game announcements and reveals. Celebrities will walk red carpets. Awards will be presented. But conspicuously absent will be the 50 rising stars who would have been recognized as the future of gaming. Their slot has been filled with… silence and erasure.
Keighley has an opportunity to reverse this decision, reinstate Future Class with genuine support and a commitment to respecting members’ right to speak out on important issues, and acknowledge the 2023 cohort publicly. Whether he will remains to be seen. But if the pattern holds, don’t expect any official explanation or reversal. Just more silence.
FAQs
When was The Game Awards Future Class launched?
The Future Class program launched in 2020 with the goal of highlighting 50 rising stars representing the bright, bold, and inclusive future of gaming.
When was Future Class cancelled?
The program was not held in 2024 without official announcement. In November 2025, organizers confirmed no Future Class would be held for 2025 either, effectively cancelling the initiative.
Why was Future Class cancelled?
While never officially stated, the cancellation followed controversies including 2023 members signing a letter about Gaza, lack of genuine support for members, and complaints of tokenization.
What happened to the 2023 Future Class letter?
The letter urging The Game Awards to address the Gaza humanitarian crisis was ignored. Keighley only met with members after the ceremony, and the meeting was reportedly dismissive.
Is there any archive of Future Class?
The only proof that Future Class existed is through the Wayback Machine internet archives, as all references have been removed from The Game Awards official website.
What did members complain about?
Members reported lack of mentorship, limited logistical support for attending the awards show, no compensation for mentoring incoming members, and feeling tokenized by the program.
Did Geoff Keighley comment on the cancellation?
No, Keighley has not issued any public statement about the cancellation and did not respond to requests for comment.
What replaced the Future Class program?
In 2024, a separate “Game Changer” award was introduced, though it’s unclear if this will continue or what its purpose is.
When is The Game Awards 2025?
The Game Awards 2025 ceremony is scheduled for December 11, 2025 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
Who was Emma Kidwell?
Emma Kidwell was a 2023 Future Class member, narrative designer on Hindsight and Marvel’s Midnight Suns, who publicly called out the programme’s erasure on social media.
Conclusion
The quiet cancellation and complete erasure of The Game Awards’ Future Class program is a damning indictment of performative diversity in gaming. What started as a promising initiative to spotlight rising talent became a cautionary tale about what happens when corporations want the appearance of inclusivity without the actual commitment. By silently killing the program and removing all trace of it from their website, The Game Awards sent a clear message: we want diversity that doesn’t challenge us, voices that don’t speak up, and rising stars who know their place. The 2023 cohort dared to advocate for a better future as their role promised, and they were punished with erasure. For anyone still believing in institutional change in gaming, this is a sobering reminder that real progress requires more than annual recognition programs – it requires actual power, actual resources, and actual willingness to listen to the people you claim to support.