The Game Awards’ Geoff Keighley officially announced (almost) all of this year’s nominees on Monday, including the program’s long-awaited list of Game of the Year 2025 nominees. On Thursday, Dec. 11, Keighley and the crew will air their twelfth annual industry awards showcase. This time, however, the viewership stakes are higher. Earlier this week, The Game Awards announced that it would air the program on Amazon Prime Video in addition to YouTube and Twitch, a move that’s sure to boost its already rapidly growing audience.
French turn-based RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 leads the noms with 12, making it the most-nominated game in show history. Kojima Productions’ cerebral walking sim Death Stranding 2: On the Beach and Sucker Punch’s action-adventure hit Ghost of Yōtei follow with eight nominations apiece. Sony Interactive Entertainment is the studio with the most nods this year (19); Expedition 33 publisher Kepler Interactive takes second place with 13, while Microsoft and EA both nabbed 10 nominations.
Game of the Year 2025, the program’s most anticipated nominations, include six of the year’s biggest blockbusters: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Death Stranding 2: On The Beach, Donkey Kong Bananza, Hades II, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, and Hollow Knight: Silksong. This year’s nominees for The Game Awards’ Best Independent Game distinction include Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Absolum, Blue Prince, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Ball x Pit, and Hades II.
While viewers can’t influence nominations, they can influence who walks away with the coveted statuette. More than two dozen awards will be distributed on Dec. 11, and viewers can participate in a public voting process. From now until Dec. 10 at 6 p.m. PT, gamers can vote for their preferred nominee by heading to The Game Awards’ official website.
Keighley said there’s still more to come, but in the meantime, check out the released nominees:
Game of the Year
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Donkey Kong Bananza
- Hades 2
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Kingdom Come Deliverance 2
Best Art Direction
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2 On the Beach
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Hades 2
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
Best Audio Design
- Battlefield 6
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Silent Hill f
RELATED:
- ‘Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’ boosts interest in French
- Sydney Sweeney to star in ‘Split Fiction’ film adaptation
Best Game Direction
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Hades 2
- Split Fiction
Best Multiplayer
- Arc Raiders
- Battlefield 6
- Elden Ring: Nightreign
- Peak
- Split Fiction
Best Narrative
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
- Silent Hill f
Best Performance
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – Jennifer English
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – Ben Starr
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – Charlie Cox
- Ghost of Yōtei – Erika Ishii
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle – Troy Baker
- Silent Hill f – Konatsu Kato
Best Score & Music
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Hades 2
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
Best Action Game
Best Action/Adventure Game
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
- Split Fiction
Best Family Game
- Donkey Kong Bananza
- Lego Party
- Lego Voyagers
- Mario Kart World
- Sonic Racing Crossworlds
- Split Fiction
Best Fighting Game
- 2XKO
- Capcom Fighting Collection 2
- Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves
- Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection
- Virtua Fighter 5 REVO
Best Independent Game
- Absolum
- Ball X Pit
- Blue Prince
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Hades 2
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
Best Mobile Game
- Destiny Rising
- Persona 5: The Phantom X
- Sonic Rumble
- Umamusume: Pretty Derby
- Wuthering Waves
Best Ongoing Game
- Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail
- Fortnite
- Helldivers 2
- Marvel Rivals
- No Man’s Sky
Best RPG
- Avowed
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
- Monster Hunter Wilds
- The Outer Worlds 2
Best Sports/Racing Game
- EA Sports FC 26
- F1 25
- Mario Kart World
- Rematch
- Sonic Racing Crossworlds
Best Strategy/Sim Game
- Civilization 7
- Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles
- Jurassic World Evolution 3
- The Alters
- Tempest Rising
- Two Point Museum
Best VR/AR Game
- Alien: Rogue Incursion
- Arken Age
- Deadpool VR
- Ghost Town
- The Midnight Walk
Best Adaptation
- A Minecraft Movie
- Devil May Cry
- Splinter Cell Deathwatch
- The Last of Us season 2
- Until Dawn
Community Support
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Final Fantasy 14
- Fortnite
- Helldivers 2
- No Man’s Sky
Debut Indie Game
- Blue Prince
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Despelote
- Dispatch
- Megabonk
Games for Impact
- Consume Me
- Despelote
- Lost Records: Bloom and Rage
- South of Midnight
- Wanderstop
Best Esports Game
- Counter-Strike 2
- Dota 2
- League of Legends
- Mobile Legends Bang Bang
- Valorant
Best Esports Athlete
- Brawk
- Chovy
- Forsaken
- Kakeru
- Menard
- Zywoo
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)
Content Creator of the Year
- Caedrel
- Kai Cenat
- MoistCr1tikal
- Sakura Miko
- The Burnt Peanut
Most Anticipated Game
- 007 First Light
- Grand Theft Auto 6
- Marvel’s Wolverine
- Resident Evil Requiem
- The Witcher 4
In a little over three weeks, The Game Awards will stream live from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California. Check out the official nominee announcement and catch The Game Awards, its host Geoff Keighley, and more when the ceremony airs on Dec. 11, 2025.
Follow us on MSN for more content you love.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.