The Game Awards have announced their nominations for the best games of 2025, with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 leading the way with 12 nominations, including the coveted Game of the Year honor. The critically acclaimed role-playing game will compete with Death Stranding 2: Beaches, Donkey Kong Banana, Hades 2, Hollow Knight: Silk Song and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 for the night’s top prize.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the debut game from independent studio Sandfall Interactive, is also up for Best Game Direction, Best Narrative, Best Art Direction, and received three nominations in the Best Performance category.
Sony became the most nominated game publisher at this year’s Game Awards, with a total of 19 nominations across multiple categories. PS5 exclusive games “Death Stranding 2” and “Soul of the Rams” each received 7 nominations, ranking second. The critically acclaimed indie roguelike Hades 2 received six nominations, followed by Silksong with five and split-screen co-op adventure Split Fiction with four.
Split Fiction, one of the year’s highest-rated games and an early favorite for Game of the Year, was missing from the nominations for the top award, with fans calling its exclusion a “snub.” However, Hazelight’s game was nominated in the Best Game Direction, Best Action-Adventure, Best Family, and Best Multiplayer Game categories.
The 2025 Game Awards will take place live at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on December 11 at 7:30 PM ET / 4:30 PM PT (December 12 at 6 AM IST). The event will be hosted by producer Geoff Keighley and broadcast live via digital platforms. Here’s the full list of 2025 Game Awards nominees:
best game of the year
Claire Obscure: 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 (super giant game)
Hollow Knight: Silk Song (Team Cherry)
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (Warhorse Studios/Deep Silver)
Best game guide
Claire Obscure: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive/Kepler Interactive)
“Death Stranding 2: On the Beach” (Kojima Productions/SIE)
Sucker Punch Productions/SIE
Hades II (super giant game)
Split Fiction (Hazelight Studios/EA)
best narrative
Claire Obscure: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive/Kepler Interactive)
“Death Stranding 2: On the Beach” (Kojima Productions/SIE)
Sucker Punch Productions/SIE
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (Warhorse Studios/Deep Silver)
“Silent Hill” f (NeoBards Entertainment/Konami)
Best Art Direction
Claire Obscure: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive/Kepler Interactive)
“Death Stranding 2: On the Beach” (Kojima Productions/SIE)
Sucker Punch Productions/SIE
Hades II (super giant game)
Hollow Knight: Silk Song (Team Cherry)
Best soundtrack and music
Christopher Larkin, Hollow Knight: Silk Song
Darren Kolb “Hades II”
Lorien Testard, Claire Obsker: The 33rd Expedition
Otowa Toma “The Soul of the Goat Hoof”
Woodkid and Ludvig Forssell, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Best audio design
Battlefield 6 (Battlefield Studios/EA)
Claire Obscure: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive/Kepler Interactive)
“Death Stranding 2: On the Beach” (Kojima Productions/SIE)
Sucker Punch Productions/SIE
“Silent Hill” f (NeoBards Entertainment/Konami)
best performance
Ben Starr, Claire Obsker: Expedition 33
Charlie Cox, Claire Obsker: The 33rd Expedition
Erika Ishii “The Soul of the Yotho”
Jennifer English, Claire Obska: Expedition 33
Kato Konatsu “Silent Hill”
Troy Baker “Indiana Jones and the Circle”
Accessible innovation
Assassin’s Creed: Shadows (Ubisoft)
Atomic Fall (Rebellion)
Doom: Dark Ages (id Software/Bethesda Softworks)
EA Sports FC 26 (EA Canada/EA Romania/EA)
South of Midnight (Compulsion Games/Xbox Game Studios)
influence game
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 games
Final Fantasy XIV (Square Enix)
Fortnite (Epic Games)
Helldivers 2 (Arrowhead Game Studios/SIE)
Marvel Rivals (NetEase Games)
No Man’s Sky (Hello Games)
Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
Final Fantasy XIV (Square Enix)
Fortnite (Epic Games)
Helldiver 2 (Arrowhead Game Studios/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
No Man’s Sky (Hello Games)
Best Indie Game
Absolum (Guard Crush Games/Supamonks/Dotemu)
Ball x Pit (Kenny Sun/ Devolver Digital)
Blue Prince (Dogubomb/Raw Fury)
Claire Obscure: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive/Kepler Interactive)
Hades II (super giant game)
Hollow Knight: Silk Song (Team Cherry)
Best Debut Indie Game
Blue Prince (Dogubomb/Raw Fury)
Claire Obscure: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive/Kepler Interactive)
Desperot (Julian Cordero/Sebastian Valbuena/Panic)
Scheduling (AdHoc Studio)
Megabonk (Vidinad)
Best Mobile Games
Destiny: Uprising (NetEase Games)
“Persona 5: Phantom X” (Black Wings Game Studio/Sega)
Sonic Brawl (Rovio Entertainment/Sega)
Umamusume: Pretty Derby (Cygames Inc.)
Roaring Waves (Kuro Games)
Best VR/AR Games
Aliens: Survios
Age of Ark (Vitruvius VR)
Ghost Town (Fire Protection Game)
Marvel’s Deadpool VR (Twisted Pixel Games/Oculus Studios)
Midnight Walk (MoonHood/Quick Travel Game)
best action games
Battlefield 6 (Battlefield Studios/EA)
Doom: Dark Ages (id Software/Bethesda Softworks)
Hades II (super giant game)
Ninja Gaiden 4 (Platinum Games/Team Ninja/Xbox Game Studios)
Ninja: The Art of Revenge (Lizardcube/Sega)
Best Action/Adventure Game
“Death Stranding 2: On the Beach” (Kojima Productions/SIE)
Sucker Punch Productions/SIE
Indiana Jones and the Circle (MachineGames/Bethesda Softworks)
Hollow Knight: Silk Song (Team Cherry)
Split Fiction (Hazelight Studios/EA)
Best RPG
Oath (Obsidian Entertainment/Xbox Game Studios)
Claire Obscure: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive/Kepler Interactive)
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (Warhorse Studios/Deep Silver)
The Outer Worlds 2 (Obsidian Entertainment/Xbox Game Studios)
Monster Hunter Wilds (Capcom)
best fighting games
2XKO (Riot Games)
Capcom Fighter Collection 2 (Capcom)
Hungry Wolf: Castle of Wolves (SNK Corporation)
Mortal Kombat: Legacy Series (Digital Eclipse/Atari)
Virtua Fighter 5 REVO World Stage (Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio/Sega)
Best Family Games
Donkey Kong Bananza (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)
Lego Party! (SMG Studio/Novel)
LEGO Voyager (Light Brick Studios/ Annapurna Interactive)
Mario Kart World (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds (Sonic Team/SEGA)
Split Fiction (Hazelight Studios/EA)
Best Simulation/Strategy Game
Alters (11-bit studio)
Final Fantasy Tactics – Chronicles of Ivalice (Square Enix)
Jurassic World: Evolution 3 (Frontier Development)
Sid Meier’s Civilization VII (Firaxis Games/2K)
Storm Rising (Sliding Door Steelworks/3D Realms)
Two Point Museum (Two Point Studio/SEGA)
Best Sports/Racing Game
EA Sports FC 26 (EA Canada/EA Romania/EA)
F1 25 (Codemasters/EA)
Mario Kart World (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)
Rematch (Sloclap/Kepler Interactive)
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds (Sonic Team/SEGA)
Best Multiplayer Games
Arc Raiders (Embark Studios)
Battlefield 6 (Electronic Arts)
“Elden Ring Nightreign” (from Software/Bandai Namco Entertainment)
Mountain Top (Hate Crab/Landing)
Split Fiction (Hazelight/EA)
best fit
Minecraft Movie (Legendary Pictures/Mojang/Warner Bros.)
Devil May Cry (Mill Studios/Capcom/Netflix)
The Last of Us: Season 2 (HBO/PlayStation Productions)
Splinter Cell: Deathwatch (FOST Studio/Ubisoft/Netflix)
Until Dawn (Screen Gems/PlayStation Productions)
most anticipated games
007 The first ray of light (IO interactive)
Grand Theft Auto VI (Rockstar Games)
Marvel Wolverine (Insomniac Games/SIE)
Resident Evil Requiem (Capcom)
The Witcher IV (CD Projekt Red)
Content Creator of the Year
Kader
kaisenate
Moist Cr1TiKaL
Sakura Miko
burnt peanuts
Best esports games
Counter-Strike 2 (Valve)
DOTA 2 (valve)
League of Legends (Riot)
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (Moonton)
Brave (riot)
Best eSports Athlete
brawk – Brock Somerhalder (Valorant)
Chovy – Jung Ji-hoon (League of Legends)
f0rsakeN – Jason Susanto (Valorant)
Sho Watanabe (Street Fighter)
MenaRD – Sol Leonardo (Street Fighter)
Zyw0o – Mathieu Hellbot (Counter-Strike 2)
Best Esports Team
Gen.G – League of Legends
NRG – Brave
Falcons – DOTA 2
Team Liquid PH – Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
Team Dynamics – Counter-Strike 2
