The Game Awards 2025 is shaping up to be one of the most competitive years yet, with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 emerging as the clear frontrunner. The critically acclaimed role-playing game has captured the industry’s attention after securing 12 nominations, including the highly coveted Game of the Year title.
This year’s ceremony will take place on 11 December in Los Angeles, celebrating the biggest achievements in the gaming world.
A Strong Year for Game of the Year Contenders
Alongside Clair Obscur, several high-profile titles and fan favourites have been shortlisted for the top honour. The complete list of Game of the Year nominees includes:
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Death Stranding 2
Donkey Kong Bananza (Nintendo Switch 2)
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Hades 2
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
These titles span multiple genres and styles — from indie projects and sequels to blockbuster adventures — highlighting the diversity of this year’s gaming landscape.
The Game Awards: A Major Global Event
Often described as the “Oscars of gaming”, The Game Awards attracts millions of viewers from across the world.
In 2024, the ceremony reached 154 million livestream views, where Astro Bot took home the Game of the Year award.
Hosted by event creator Geoff Keighley, the show runs for about three hours and combines:
Award presentations
Music performances
Celebrity appearances
Exclusive game trailers and announcements
For many gamers, the world-premiere trailers remain one of the biggest reasons to tune in.
Last year, audiences saw first looks at:
The Witcher 4
Elden Ring: Nightreign
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet (from the creators of The Last of Us)
Clair Obscur: From Small Team to Global Spotlight
Developed by a core team of just 30 people at Sandfall Interactive in Montpellier, France, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has been one of 2025’s biggest surprises. Inspired by classic turn-based RPGs, the game has been widely praised for:
A powerful narrative
Engaging and strategic combat
Emotional performances
High-quality world-building
Three of its cast members — Ben Starr, Charlie Cox, and Jennifer English — have also earned nominations in the Best Performance category.
However, its nomination for Best Independent Game has sparked debate, as the project was supported by global partner studios and published by Kepler Interactive.
Sony Titles Continue Their Game Awards Success
Sony, a consistent awards contender, has secured two major exclusives with eight nominations each:
Death Stranding 2
Directed by legendary creator Hideo Kojima
Nominated for Game of the Year and Best Narrative
Despite its star-studded cast, none of the actors were shortlisted for performance awards
Ghost of Yōtei
A samurai-themed adventure for PS5
Also nominated in eight categories
Features Erika Ishii, who is up for Best Performance
Indie Hits Hold Their Ground
Two indie sequels have also made the Game of the Year race:
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Often called the “GTA 6 of indie games” due to its decade-long anticipation, the game caused online stores to crash upon release.
Hades 2
Built by the small team behind the first Hades, the sequel has been praised for its storytelling, art direction and fast-paced design.
Notable Snubs This Year
While competition is high, some well-known titles failed to make it into the top categories:
Split Fiction (by Hazelight and director Josef Fares) — received no Game of the Year nod
Blue Prince, one of the best-reviewed titles of the year, — nominated only for Best Independent Game
Ongoing Criticism and Challenges Facing the Show
The Game Awards has faced recurring criticism for prioritising advertising, often giving limited time to acceptance speeches. Although last year’s show attempted to address these concerns, many within the industry continue calling for more recognition of real issues, especially the large number of job losses in the gaming sector in recent years.
Future Class Controversy
This year, organisers scrapped the Future Class initiative, first launched in 2020 to highlight upcoming industry talent.
The last batch of Future Class members in 2023 publicly urged the organisers to address global conflicts such as the Israel–Gaza crisis.
In 2024, several alumni criticised the scheme for:
Not providing real industry support
Being a token gesture
Failing to build meaningful opportunities
Recognising Industry Contributions
Last year, the awards introduced a new Game Changer Award, given to Amir Satvat for his impactful work helping game developers who lost their jobs find new opportunities.
Sources
The Game Awards official announcements
Developer and publisher press releases
Industry reporting and analyst commentary
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