It’s that time of year again, awards season. First up on the award season docket is The Game Awards, with their list of nominees released today, with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 leading the pack with 12 nominations across The Game Awards 2025’s 29 categories (many of which are not presented during the show, which will be streamed on Prime Video this year).
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s nominations make it the most nominated game in the award show’s history. The Game Awards 2025 features nominees from 102 different games, selected by a jury that includes game industry pillars such as Game Informer and Giant Bomb, as well as Hollywood and celebrity-focused outlets like Variety and Entertainment Weekly.
According to the press release, Sony Interactive Entertainment holds the title of The Game Awards’ most nominated publisher in 2025, with 19 nominations across its combined portfolio. Following closely behind are Kepler Interactive, with 13 nominations (12 of which come from Clair Obscur), and Electronic Arts and Microsoft, both with ten.
But where some standouts for GOTY like Clair Obscur have the spotlight, the Game Awards 2025’s smaller categories, particularly “Best Sim/Strategy” and “Best Sports/Racing,” have notable snubs, focusing instead on easy-to-recognize titles.
The Sim/Strategy category is missing Europa Universalis V, which marked the return of the beloved Paradox-published 4X historical strategy franchise after a decade, and Ubisoft’s Anno 117: Pax Romana, the continuation of a series that has defined the city-building genre.
As for “Best Sports/Racing,” well, Mario Kart and Sonic Racing: Crossworlds make the list, but Madden NFL 26, EA Sports College Football 2, and MLB The Show 25 are nowhere to be found this year. This is despite the first two introducing overhauls of their in-game systems based solidly on community feedback and The Show’s dedication to preserving history with its close look at the Negro Leagues in a robust storyline for players.
But that’s just my thought, don’t take my word for it. Instead, check out the full list of The Game Awards 2025 nominees below.
Want to see more from indie games? Check out The Indie Game Awards 2025 nominees.
The Game Awards 2025 Nominees
GAME OF THE YEAR (GOTY)
BEST GAME DIRECTION
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive/Kepler Interactive)
- Death Stranding 2: On The Beach (Kojima Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Ghost of Yōtei (Sucker Punch Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Hades II (Supergiant Games)
- Split Fiction (Hazelight Studios/EA)
BEST NARRATIVE
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive/Kepler Interactive)
- Death Stranding 2: On The Beach (Kojima Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Ghost of Yōtei (Sucker Punch Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (Warhorse Studios/Deep Silver)
- Silent Hill f (NeoBards Entertainment/KONAMI)
BEST ART DIRECTION
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive/Kepler Interactive)
- Death Stranding 2: On The Beach (Kojima Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Ghost of Yōtei (Sucker Punch Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Hades II (Supergiant Games)
- Hollow Knight: Silksong (Team Cherry)
BEST SCORE AND MUSIC, LEVELED UP BY SPOTIFY
- Christopher Larkin, Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Darren Korb, Hades II
- Lorien Testard, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Toma Otowa, Ghost of Yōtei
- Woodkid and Ludvig Forssell, Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
BEST AUDIO DESIGN
- Battlefield 6 (Battlefield Studios/EA)
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive/Kepler Interactive)
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (Kojima Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment) - Ghost of Yōtei (Sucker Punch Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Silent Hill f (NeoBards Entertainment/KONAMI)
BEST PERFORMANCE
- Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Charlie Cox, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Erika Ishii, Ghost of Yōtei
- Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Konatsu Kato, Silent Hill f
- Troy Baker, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
INNOVATION IN ACCESSIBILITY
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows (Ubisoft)
- Atomfall (Rebellion)
- Doom: The Dark Ages (id Software/Bethesda Softworks)
- EA Sports FC 26 (EA Canada/EA Romania/EA)
- South of Midnight (Compulsion Games/Xbox Game Studios)
GAMES FOR IMPACT
- Consume Me (Jenny Jiao Hsia/AP Thomson/Hexacutable)
- Despelote (Julián Cordero/Sebastián 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
- Final Fantasy XIV (Square Enix)
- Fortnite (Epic Games)
- Helldivers 2 (Arrowhead Game Studios/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Marvel Rivals (NetEase Games)
- No Man’s Sky (Hello Games)
BEST COMMUNITY SUPPORT
- Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
- Final Fantasy XIV (Square Enix)
- Fortnite (Epic Games)
- Helldivers 2 (Arrowhead Game Studios/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- No Man’s Sky (Hello Games)
BEST INDEPENDENT GAME
- Absolum (Guard Crush Games/Supamonks/Dotemu)
- Ball x Pit (Kenny Sun/Devolver Digital)
- Blue Prince (Dogubomb/Raw Fury)
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive)
- Hades II (Supergiant Games)
- Hollow Knight: Silksong (Team Cherry)
BEST DEBUT INDIE GAME
- Blue Prince (Dogubomb/Raw Fury)
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive/Kepler Interactive)
- Despelote (Julián Cordero/Sebastián Valbuena/Panic)
- Dispatch (AdHoc Studio)
- Megabonk (Vedinad)
BEST MOBILE GAME
- 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
- 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
BEST ACTION/ADVENTURE
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (Kojima Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Ghost of Yōtei (Sucker Punch Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (MachineGames/Bethesda Softworks)
- Hollow Knight: Silksong (Team Cherry)
- Split Fiction (Hazelight Studios/EA)
BEST RPG
- Avowed (Obsidian Entertainment/Xbox Game Studios)
- Clair Obscur: 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
- 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
- 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 Studios/EA)
BEST SIM/STRATEGY
BEST SPORTS/RACING
BEST MULTIPLAYER
- Arc Raiders (Embark Studios)
- Battlefield 6 (Electronic Arts)
- Elden Ring Nightreign (FromSoftware/Bandai Namco Entertainment)
- Peak (Aggro Crab/Landfall)
- Split Fiction (Hazelight/EA)
BEST ADAPTATION
MOST ANTICIPATED GAME
- 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
- Caedrel
- Kai Cenat
- MoistCr1TiKaL
- Sakura Miko
- The Burnt Peanut
BEST ESPORTS GAME
- Counter-Strike 2 (Valve)
- DOTA 2 (Valve)
- League of Legends (Riot)
- Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (Moonton)
- Valorant (Riot)
BEST ESPORTS ATHLETE
- 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
How to Watch The Game Awards 2025:
This year’s show will stream live on Prime Video for the first time and will also be available for free across more than 30 digital video platforms.
Can I buy tickets ot The Game Awards 2025?
Yes! The Game Awards will air live from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Thursday, December 11, 2024. Tickets to attend The Game Awards in person can be purchased on AXS.com.
How can I vote in The Game Awards 2025?
People can vote for The Game Awards 2025 via the show’s website. This will run from today through December 10th at 6 pm PT here. If you’re in China, fans can vote for their favorites on various platforms, including Bilibili.
