The Game Awards 2025 – Nominations / Predictions

Game of the Year

Recognizing a game that delivers the absolute best experience across all creative and technical fields

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive / Kepler Interactive)
Death Stranding 2: On The Beach (Kojima Productions / Sony Interactive)
Donkey Kong Bananza (Nintendo)
Hades II (Supergiant Games)
Hollow Knight Silksong (Team Cherry)
Kingdom Come Deliverance II (Warhorse Studios / Deep Silver)

Best Game Direction

Awarded for outstanding creative vision and innovation in game direction and design

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive / Kepler Interactive)
Death Stranding 2: On The Beach (Kojima Productions / Sony Interactive)
Ghost of Yotei (Sucker Punch / Sony Interactive)
Hades II (Supergiant Games)
Split Fiction (Hazelight Studios / EA)

Best Narrative

For outstanding storytelling and narrative development in a game

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive / Kepler Interactive)
Death Stranding 2: On The Beach (Kojima Productions / Sony Interactive)
Ghost of Yotei (Sucker Punch / Sony Interactive)
Kingdom Come Deliverance II (Warhorse Studios / Deep Silver)
Silent Hill f (NeoBards Entertainment / Konami)

Best Art Direction

For outstanding creative and/or technical achievement in artistic design and animation

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive / Kepler Interactive)
Death Stranding 2: On The Beach (Kojima Productions / Sony Interactive)
Ghost of Yotei (Sucker Punch / Sony Interactive)
Hades II (Supergiant Games)
Hollow Knight Silksong (Team Cherry)

Best Score and Music

For outstanding music, inclusive of score, original song and/or licensed soundtrack

Christopher Larkin (Hollow Knight: Silksong)
Darren Korb (Hades II)
Lorien Testard (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33)
Toma Otowa (Ghost of Yotei)
Woodkid & Ludvig Forssell (Death Stranding 2: On The Beach)

Best Audio Design

Recognizing the best in-game audio and sound design

Battlefield 6 (Battlefield Studios / EA)
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive / Kepler Interactive)
Death Stranding 2: On The Beach (Kojima Productions / Sony Interactive)
Ghost of Yotei (Sucker Punch / Sony Interactive)
Silent Hill f (NeoBards Entertainment / Konami)

Best Performance

Awarded to an individual for voice-over acting, motion and/or performance capture

Ben Starr (Clair Obscur Expedition 33 – Verso)
Charlie Cox (Clair Obscur Expedition 33 – Gustave)
Erica Ishii (Ghost of Yotei – Atsu)
Jennifer English (Clair Obscur Expedition 33 – Maelle)
Konatsu Kato (Silent Hill f – Hinako Shimako)
Troy Baker (Indiana Jones and the Great Circle – Indiana Jones)

Innovation in Accessibility

Recognizing software and/or hardware that is pushing the medium forward by adding features, technology and content to help games be played and enjoyed by an even wider audience

Assassin’s Creed Shadows (Ubisoft)
Atomfall (Rebellion)
Doom: The Dark Ages (id Software / Bethesda Softworks)
EA Sports FC26 (EA Canada / EA Romania / EA)
South of Midnight (Compulsion Games / Xbox Game Studios)

Games for Impact

For a thought-provoking game with a pro-social meaning or message

Consume Me (Jenny Jiao Hsia / AP Thomson / Hexacutable)
Despelote (Julian Cordero, Sebastian Vabuena / 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

Awarded to a game for outstanding development of ongoing content that evolves the player experience over time

Final Fantasy XIV Online (Square Enix)
Fortnite (Epic Games)
Helldivers II (Arrowhead Game Studios / Sony Interactive)
Marvel Rivals (NetEase Games)
No Man’s Sky (Hello Games)

Best Community Support

Recognizing a game for outstanding community support, transparency and responsiveness, inclusive of social media activity and game updates/patches

Baldur’s Gate III (Larian Studios)
Final Fantasy XIV (Square Enix)
Fortnite (Epic Games)
Helldivers II (Arrowhead Game Studios / Sony Interactive)
No Man’s Sky (Hello Games)

Best Independent Game

For outstanding creative and technical achievement in a game made outside the traditional publisher system

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 Silk Song (Team Cherry)

Best Debut Indie Game

For the best debut game created by a new independent studio

Blue Prince (Dogubomb / Raw Fury)
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interavtive / Kepler Interactive)
Despelote (Julian Cordero / Sebastian Valbuena / Panic)
Dispatch (AdHoc Studio)
Megabonk (Vedinad)

Best Mobile Game

For the best game playable on a mobile device

Destiny Rising (NetEase Games)
Persona 5 The Phantom X (Black Wings Game Studio / Sega)
Sonic Rumble Rovio Entertainment / Sega)
Umamusume: Pretty Derby (CyGames Inc)
Wuthering Waves (Kuro Games)

Best VR / AR

For the best game experience playable in virtual or augmented reality, irrespective of platform

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

For the best game in the action genre focused primarily on combat

Battlefield 6 (Battlefield Studios / EA)
Doom The Dark Ages (id Software / Bethesda Softworks)
Hades II (Supergiant Games)
Ninja Gaiden 4 (Platinum Games / Team Ninja / Xbox Game Studios)
Shinobi: Art of Vengeance (Lizardcube / Sega)

Best Action / Adventure

For the best action/adventure game, combining combat with traversal and puzzle solving

Death Stranding 2: On The Beach (Kojima Productions / Sony Interactive)
Ghost of Yotei (Sucker Punch / Sony Interactive)
Hollow Knight Silksong (Team Cherry)
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (MachineGames / Bethesda Softworks)
Split Fiction (Hazelight Studios / EA)

Best RPG

For the best game designed with rich player character customization and progression, including massively multiplayer experiences

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

For the best game designed primarily around head-to-head combat

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

For the best game appropriate for family play, irrespective of genre or platform

Donkey Kong Bananza (Nintendo)
Lego Party (SMG Studio / Fictions)
Lego Voyagers (Light Brick Studios / Annapurna Interactive)
Mario Kart World (Nintendo)
Sonic Racing CrossWorlds (Sonic Team / Sega)
Split Fiction (Hazelight Studios / EA)

Best Sim / Strategy

Best game focused on real time or turn-based simulation or strategy gameplay, irrespective of platform

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)
The Alters (11 Bit Studios)
Two Point Museum (Two Point Studios / Sega)

Best Sports / Racing

For the best traditional and non-traditional sports and racing game

EA Sports FC 26 (EA Canada / EA Romania / EA)
EA Sports F1 25 (Codemasters / EA)
Mario Kart World (Nintendo)
Rematch (Sloclap / Kepler Interactive)
Sonic Racing CrossWorlds (Sonic Team / Sega)

Best Multiplayer

For outstanding online multiplayer gameplay and design, including co-op and massively multiplayer experiences, irrespective of game genre or platform

Arc Raiders (Embark Studios)
Battlefield 6 (Battlefield Studios / EA)
Elden Ring Nightreign (FromSoftware / Bandai Namco)
Peak (Aggro Crab / Landfall)
Split Fiction (Hazelight Studios / EA)

Best Adaptation

Recognizing outstanding creative work that faithfully and authentically adapts a video game to another entertainment medium

A Minecraft Movie (Legendary Pictures / Mojany / Warner Bros)
Devil May Cry (Studio Mir / Capcom / Netflix)
Splinter Cell Deathwatch (FOST Studio / Ubisoft / Netflix)
The Last of Us (HBO / PlayStation Productions)
Until Dawn (Screen Gems / PlayStation Productions)

Most Anticipated Game

Recognizing an announced game that has demonstrably illustrated potential to push the gaming medium forward

007 – First Light (IO Interactive)
Grand Thief Auto VI (Rockstar Games)
Marvel’s Wolverine (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive)
Resident Evil requiem (Capcom)
The Witcher VI (CD Projekt Red)

Content Creator of the Year

For a streamer or content creator who has made an important and positive impact on the community in 2025

Caedrel
Kai Cenat
MoistCr1tikal
Sakura Miko
The Burnt Peanut

Best Esports Game

For the game that has delivered the best overall esports experience to players (inclusive of tournaments, community support and content updates), irrespective of genre or platform

Counter Strike 2 (Valve)
DOTA 2 (Valve)
League of Legends (Riot Games)
Mobile Legends Bang Bang (Moonton)
Valorant (Riot Games)

Best Esports Athlete

The esports athlete judged to be the most outstanding for performance and conduct in 2023, irrespective of game

Brawk – Brock Somerhalder
Chovy – Jeong Ji-Hoon
F0rsaken – Jason Susanto
Kakeru – Kakeru Watanabe
Menard – Saul Leonardo
Zywoo – Mathieu Herbaut

Best Esports Team

Recognizing a specific esports team (not the full organization) judged the most outstanding for performance and conduct in 2024

Gen.G (League of Legends)
NRG (Valorant)
Team Falcons (DOTA 2)
Team Liquid PH (Mobile Legends Bang Bang)
Team Vitality (Counter Strike 2)

Player’s Voice

3 Rounds, 3 Chances To Vote

Round 1 – 30 Nominees
Voting Opens December 1, 2024
(Top 10 go on to next vote)

Round 2 – 10 Nominees
Voting Opens December 5, 2024
(Top 5 go on to next vote)

Round 3 – 5 Nominees
Voting Opens December 9, 2024

Our Pick:
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive / Kepler Interactive)