The Game Awards 2025 nominations were announced on Monday, with “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33” leading the way with 12 nominations. This total makes the game developed by Sandfall Interactive the most nominated game in the award’s 11-year history.
Among its accolades, Claire Obscur: Expedition 33 joins 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), and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (Warhorse) in the Game of the Year. It has been nominated for the year. Studio/Deep Silver).
Sony Interactive Entertainment remains the publisher with the most nominations this year, with 19 nominations, although 2025’s top title Ghost of Yourei was not nominated for Game of the Year. Kepler Interactive took second place with 13 nominations, while Electronic Arts and Microsoft tied for third place with 10 nominations each.
This year’s Best Adaptation (TV show or movie based on a video game title) category includes “Minecraft Movie,” “Devil May Cry,” “The Last of Us” Season 2, “Splinter Cell: Deathwatch” and “Until Dawn.”
Titles nominated for the Game Awards are chosen by a global jury of more than 150 media publications and creator outlets from around the world, including Variety. From now until December 10th at 6pm PT, fans can vote for winners in all categories through authenticated online voting at www.thegameawards.com. In China, fans can vote on various platforms including Bilibili. Fan votes will be reflected in the overall results along with the final selection by the judges.
The 2025 Game Awards, hosted by Geoff Keighley, will be held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on December 11th from 5-8pm PT/8-11pm ET.
The show will feature world premieres, major new game announcements, musical performances, and awards recognizing the year’s best games and creators. According to TGA, cast members from Amazon’s TV series “Fallout,” which will air its second season next month, will also be on stage during the event.
The Game Awards has been streamed annually since its inception in 2014 on free platforms including YouTube, Twitch, X, TikTok and select platforms in China, reaching more than 154 million live streams overall for the 2024 edition. This year, the show will also be streamed on Amazon’s Prime Video as part of a new partnership with the e-commerce giant.
The Game Awards is executive produced by Keighley and Kimmie Kim. Richard Preuss will direct, Leroy Bennett will serve as creative director, and Michael E. Peter will serve as co-executive producer.
See the complete list of 2025 Game Awards nominations below.
game of the year
Claire 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: Silk Song (Team Cherry)
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (Warhorse Studios/Deep Silver)
Best Game Direction Award
Claire 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 Studios/EA)
Best Narrative Award
Claire 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)
Best Art Direction Award
Claire 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: Silk Song (Team Cherry)
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Christopher Larkin “Hollow Knight: Silksong”
Darren Korb, Hades II
Lorient Testard, Claire Obscur: Expedition 33
Touma Otowa Ghost of Yotei
Woodkid and Ludvig Forssell, “Death Stranding 2: On the Beach”
Best Audio Design Award
Battlefield 6 (Battlefield Studios/EA)
Claire 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)
best performance
Ben Starr, Claire Obscur: Expedition 33
Charlie Cox, Claire Obscur: Expedition 33
Ghost of Yotei Erika Ishii
Jennifer English, Claire Obscur: Expedition 33
Konatsu Kato “Silent Hill F”
Troy Baker, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Accessibility innovation
Assassin’s Creed Shadows (Ubisoft)
Atom Fall (Rebellion)
Doom: The Dark Ages (id Software/Bethesda Softworks)
EA Sports FC 26 (EA Canada/EA Romania/EA)
Midnight South (Compulsion Games/Xbox Game Studios)
impactful game
Consume Me (Jenny Zhaoxia/AP Thomson/Hexacutable)
Desperote (Julian Cordero/Sebastian Valbuena/Panic)
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage (Don’t Nod Montreal/Don’t Nod)
Midnight South (Compulsion Games/Xbox Game Studios)
Wonderstop (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 Studio)
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 Award
Absolum (Guard Crush Games/Spa Monks/Dotem)
Ball x Pit (Kenny Sun/Devolver Digital)
Blue Prince (Dogubomb/Raw Fury)
Claire Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive)
Hades II (Supergiant Games)
Hollow Knight: Silk Song (Team Cherry)
Best debut indie game award
Blue Prince (Dogubomb/Raw Fury)
Claire Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive/Kepler Interactive)
Desperote (Julian Cordero/Sebastian Valbuena/Panic)
Dispatch (ad hoc studio)
Megabonk (Vedinado)
Best Mobile Game Award
Destiny: Rising (NetEase Games)
Persona 5 The Phantom X (Black Wings Game Studio/SEGA)
Sonic Rumble (Rovio Entertainment/Sega)
Uma Musume Pretty Derby (Cygames Inc.)
Storm Waves (Kuro Games)
Best VR/AR
Alien: Rogue Incursion (Survios)
Arken Age (VitruviusVR)
Ghost Town (Fireproof Game)
Marvel’s Deadpool VR (Twisted Pixel Games/Oculus Studios)
Midnight Walk (MoonHood/Fast Travel Game)
best action
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)
Shinbi: Art of Vengeance (Lizardcube/Sega)
Best Action/Adventure Award
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: Silk Song (Team Cherry)
Split Fiction (Hazelight Studios/EA)
Best RPG
Avowed (Obsidian Entertainment/Xbox Game Studios)
Claire 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 Wild (Capcom)
best fighting
2XKO (Riot Games)
Capcom Fighting Collection 2 (Capcom)
Garou Legend: City of Wolves (SNK Corporation)
Mortal Kombat: Legacy Collection (Digital Eclipse/Atari)
Virtua Fighter 5 REVO World Stage (Ryu ga Gotoku Studio/SEGA)
best family
Donkey Kong Bananza (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)
Lego party! (SMG Studio/Fiction)
Lego Voyager (Light Brick Studio/Annapurna Interactive)
Mario Kart World (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds (Sonic Team/Sega)
Split Fiction (Hazelight Studios/EA)
Best SIM/strategy
The Alters (11 Bit Studio)
Final Fantasy Tactics – Ivalice Chronicles (Square Enix)
Jurassic World Evolution 3 (Frontier Development)
Sid Meier’s Civilization VII (Firaxis Games/2K)
Tempest Rising (Slipgate Steelworks/3D Realm)
Two Point Museum (Two Point Studios/Sega)
best sports/race
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 Award
Ark Raiders (Embark Studios)
Battlefield 6 (Electronic Arts)
Elden Ring Night Train (From Software/Bandai Namco Entertainment)
Peak (Agro Club/Landing)
Split Fiction (Hazelight/EA)
best adaptation
Minecraft Movie (Legendary Pictures/Mojang/Warner Bros)
Devil May Cry (Studio Mir/Capcom/Netflix)
The Last of Us: Season 2 (HBO/PlayStation Productions)
Splinter Cell: Deathwatch (FOST Studios/Ubisoft/Netflix)
Until Dawn (Screen Gems/PlayStation Productions)
most anticipated games
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
Quadrel
Kai Senat
Moist Cr1TiKaL
Miko Sakura
burnt peanuts
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 – Jung 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
Gen.G – League of Legends
NRG – Valorant
Team Falcons – DOTA 2
Team Liquid PH – Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
Team Vitality – Counter-Strike 2
Editor’s note: Variety polled the nominations for The Game Awards 2025.
