The most prestigious awards event in the industry game, The Game Awards has officially announced the list of nominees for the 2025 edition. This announcement marks the start of the celebration of the best achievements in the gaming industry over the past year.
The Game Awards 2025 Schedule and Live
For those of you who don't want to miss it, The Game Awards 2025 will be streamed live on December 11 from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California.
As in previous years, this event will be more than just an awards ceremony. You can look forward to various announcements world premiere and the latest game trailers, musical performances from The Game Awards Orchestra led by conductor Lorne Balfe, and other surprises.
You also have the opportunity to participate directly in determining the winners. Fan voting sessions are now open for all categories via the official website. The Game Awards. Make sure you cast your vote before the voting period ends on December 10 at 6:00 p.m. PT.
Surprising Domination at The Game Awards 2025
At the announcement of this year's The Game Awards nominations, several game titles immediately stole the show with a significant number of nominations. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 leading the way with a total of 12 nominations, making it the most nominated game of the year.
Fierce competition followed close behind, with Death Stranding 2: On the Beach and Ghost of Yotei each managed to garner eight nominations. Other titles that also performed strongly include Hades II with six nominations, Hollow Knight: Silksong with five nominations, and Split Fiction which received four nominations.
In terms of publishers, Sony Interactive Entertainment reaffirmed its position by being the most nominated publisher, garnering a total of 19 nominations across their entire portfolio of games. In the next position, we have Kepler Interactive with 13 nominations, followed by Electronic Arts and Microsoft who secured 10 nominations each.
Full List of The Game Awards 2025 Nominees
Game of the Year
Awarded to the game that manages to provide the best overall gaming experience, encompassing excellence in both creative and technical aspects.
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive / Kepler Interactive)
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (Kojima Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Donkey Kong Bananza (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)
- Hades II (Supergiant Games)
- Hollow Knight: Silksong (Team Cherry)
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (Warhorse Studios / Deep Silver)
Best Game Direction
Awards for the most outstanding creative vision and innovation in game directing and design.
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive / Kepler Interactive)
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (Kojima Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Ghost of Yotei (Sucker Punch Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Hades II (Supergiant Games)
- Split Fiction (Hazelight / Electronic Arts)
Best Narrative
Awarded to the game with the best quality of storytelling and storyline development.
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive / Kepler Interactive)
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (Kojima Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Ghost of Yotei (Sucker Punch Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (Warhorse Studios / Deep Silver)
- Silent Hill f (NeoBards Entertainment / Konami Digital Entertainment)
Best Art Direction
Appreciate the most outstanding artistic and technical achievements in visual design and animation of a game.
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive / Kepler Interactive)
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (Kojima Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Ghost of Yotei (Sucker Punch Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Hades II (Supergiant Games)
- Hollow Knight: Silksong (Team Cherry)
Best Score and Music
Awards for the best musical composition, be it score, original songs, or soundtrack licensed that enriches the gaming experience.
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive / Kepler Interactive)
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (Kojima Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Ghost of Yotei (Sucker Punch Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Hades II (Supergiant Games)
- Hollow Knight: Silksong (Team Cherry)
Best Audio Design
Awarded to games with the most immersive and high-quality audio and sound design.
- Battlefield 6 (Battlefield Studios / Electronic Arts)
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive / Kepler Interactive)
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (Kojima Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Ghost of Yotei (Sucker Punch Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Silent Hill f (NeoBards Entertainment / Konami Digital Entertainment)
Best Performance
Honoring the best individual performances through voice acting, motion capture, or performance capture.
- Benn Star in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Charlie Cox in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Erika Ishii in Ghost of Yotei
- Jennifer English in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Konatsu Kato in Silent Hill f
- Troy Baker in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Innovation in Accessibility
Awarded to games that present innovative features, technology, or content that make games more accessible and enjoyable to a wider range of players.
- Assassin's Creed Shadows (Ubisoft)
- Atomfall (Rebellion)
- DOOM: The Dark Ages (id Software / Bethesda Softworks)
- EA Sports FC 26 (EA Canada / EA Romania / Electronic Arts)
- South of Midnight (Compulsion Games / Xbox Game Studios)
Games for Impact
Awards for games that have pro-social messages or deep meanings that are thought-provoking for players.
- Consume Me (Jenny Jiao Hsia / AP Thomson / Hexacutable)
- despelote (Julian Cordero / Sebastian Valbuena / Panic)
- Lost Records: Bloom & Rage (DON'T NOD Montreal / DON'T NOD)
- South of Midnight (Compulsion Games / Xbox Game Studios)
- Wanderstop (Ivy Road / Annapurna Interactive)
Best Ongoing Game
Awarded to games that consistently deliver quality new content, thus successfully maintaining and evolving the gaming experience over time.
- Final Fantasy XIV (Square Enix)
- Fortnite (Epic Games)
- Helldivers II (Arrowhead Game Studios / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Marvel Rivals (NetEase Games)
- No Man's Sky (Hello Games)
Best Community Support
Rewarding games that best demonstrate community support, transparency and responsiveness, both through interaction on social media and through updates and patch routine.
- Baldur's Gate III (Larian Studios)
- Final Fantasy XIV (Square Enix)
- Fortnite (Epic Games)
- Helldivers II (Arrowhead Game Studios / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- No Man's Sky (Hello Games)
Best Independent Game
Awarded for the best creative and technical achievement of a game developed independently, outside the auspices of a major publisher.
- Absolum (Guard Crush Games / Supamonks / Dotemu)
- BALL x PIT (Kenny Sun / Devolver Digital)
- Blue Prince (Dogubomb/Raw Fury)
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive / Kepler Interactive)
- Hades II (Supergiant Games)
- Hollow Knight: Silksong (Team Cherry)
Best Debut Indie Game
An award for the best first game released by a new independent development studio.
- Blue Prince (Dogubomb/Raw Fury)
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive / Kepler Interactive)
- despelote (Julian Cordero / Sebastian Valbuena / Panic)
- Dispatch (AdHoc Studio)
- Megabonk (vedinad)
Best Mobile Game
Awarded for the game with the best gaming experience on the platform mobile.
- Destiny: Rising (NetEase Games)
- Persona 5: The Phantom X (Black Wings Game Studio / ATLUS / Perfect World Games / SEGA)
- Sonic Rumble (SEGA)
- Umamusume: Pretty Derby (Cygames)
- Wuthering Waves (Kuro Games)
Best Virtual Reality / Augmented Reality
Rewarding games that offer the most immersive and innovative gaming experience on the platform Virtual Reality (VR) or Augmented Reality (AR).
- Alien: Rogue Incursion (Survios)
- Arken Age (VitruviusVR)
- Ghost Town (Fireproof Games)
- Marvel's Deadpool VR (Twisted Pixel Games / Oculus Studios)
- The Midnight Walk (MoonHood/Fast Travel Games)
Best Action Game
Awarded for action genre games with the best combat mechanics.
- Battlefield 6 (Battlefield Studios / Electronic Arts)
- DOOM: The Dark Ages (id Software / Bethesda Softworks)
- Hades II (Supergiant Games)
- NINJA GAIDEN 4 (Team NINJA/Xbox Game Studios)
- SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance (Lizardcube / SEGA)
Best Action/Adventure
An award for an action-adventure game that manages to blend combat, exploration, and puzzle-solving elements in a balanced way.
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (Kojima Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Ghost of Yotei (Sucker Punch Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (MachineGames / Bethesda Softworks)
- Hollow Knight: Silksong (Team Cherry)
- Split Fiction (Hazelight / Electronic Arts)
Best Role-Playing
Awarded for the game Role-Playing Game (RPG) that offers in-depth character customization and progression systems, including those based on massively multiplayer.
- Avowed (Obsidian Entertainment / Xbox Game Studios)
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive / Kepler Interactive)
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (Warhorse Studios / Deep Silver)
- Monster Hunter Wilds (Capcom)
- The Outer Worlds 2 (Obsidian Entertainment / Xbox Game Studios)
Best Fighting
Awards for games fighting who excels in one-on-one combat mechanics.
- 2XKO (Riot Games)
- Capcom Fighting Collection 2 (Capcom)
- Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves (SNK Corporation)
- Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection (Digital Eclipse / Atari)
- Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage (Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio / SEGA)
Best Family
Awarded for games that provide the best and safest gaming experience for families to enjoy together, from various genres and platforms.
- Donkey Kong Bananza (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)
- LEGO Party! (SMG Studio / Fictions)
- LEGO Voyagers (Light Brick Studios / Annapurna Interactive)
- Mario Kart World (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)
- Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds (Sonic Team / SEGA)
- Split Fiction (Hazelight / Electronic Arts)
Best Simulation/Strategy
Award for the best simulation or strategy game, whether it uses the real-time or turn-based.
- The Alters (11 bit studios)
- Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles (Square Enix)
- Jurassic World Evolution 3 (Frontier Developments)
- Sid Meier's Civilization VII (Firaxis Games / 2K)
- Tempest Rising (Slipgate Ironworks/3D realms)
- Two Point Museum (Two Point Studios / SEGA)
Best Sports/Racing
Awarded to the best sports or racing game, both traditional and non-traditional concepts.
- EA Sports FC 26 (EA Canada / EA Romania / Electronic Arts)
- F1 25 (Codemasters / Electronic Arts)
- Mario Kart World (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)
- REMATCH (Sloclap / Kepler Interactive)
- Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds (Sonic Team / SEGA)
Best Multiplayer
Appreciate games with design and experience online multiplayer best, including fashion co-op and massively multiplayer.
- ARC Raiders (Embark Studios)
- Battlefield 6 (Battlefield Studios / Electronic Arts)
- Elden Ring Nightreign (FromSoftware / Bandai Namco Entertainment)
- PEAK (Aggro Crab / Landfall)
- Split Fiction (Hazelight / Electronic Arts)
Best Adaptation
Awarded for the best adaptation work that successfully brings a video game property to other entertainment media in an authentic and quality manner.
- A Minecraft Movie
- Devil May Cry
- Splinter Cell: Deathwatch
- The Last of Us Season 2
- Until Dawn
Most Anticipated Game
Awards for games that have not yet been released but are most anticipated by the community, and show great potential to bring new innovations to the gaming industry.
- 007 First Light (IO Interactive)
- Grand Theft Auto VI (Rockstar Games)
- Marvel's Wolverine (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Resident Evil Requiem (Capcom)
- The Witcher IV (CD Projekt RED)
Content Creator of the Year
Given to streamer or content creators who made the most important and positive impact on the gaming community throughout the year.
- Caedrel
- Kai Cenat
- MoistCr1TiKaL
- Sakura Miko
- The Burnt Peanut
Best eSports Game
Rewards games that provide the best overall eSports ecosystem, including tournament quality, community support, and consistent content updates.
- Counter-Strike 2 (Valve)
- DOTA 2 (Valve)
- League of Legends (Riot Games)
- Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (Moonton)
- VALORANT (Riot Games)
Best eSports Athlete
Awarded to the individual eSports athlete who demonstrates the most outstanding performance and professionalism throughout the competitive year.
- brawk - Brock Somerhalder (VALORANT)
- Chovy - Jeong Ji-hoon (League of Legends)
- f0rsakeN - Jason Susanto (VALORANT)
- Kakeru - Kakeru Watanabe (Street Fighter)
- MenaRD - Saul Leonardo (Street Fighter)
- Zyw0o - Mathieu Herbaut (Counter-Strike 2)
Best eSports Team
An award for one eSports team (not the organization as a whole) that is judged to have the most solid performance and teamwork during the competition.
- Gen.G (League of Legends)
- NRG (VALORANT)
- Team Falcons (DOTA 2)
- Team Liquid PH (Mobile Legends: Bang Bang)
- Team Vitality (Counter-Strike 2)
Source: Official Website
