Geoff Keighley and The Game Awards have long set the standard for the video game industry’s take on major end of year awards celebrations, so much so that whatever game TGA deems Game Of The Year is largely accepted as “correct” over any other publications’ differing choices. This year in particular has been a big one for games, with numerous major titles releasing and discourse constantly surrounding many of them over which will earn the coveted title of the GOTY.
After today, we’re one step closer to finding out, as the nominees for The Game Awards 2025 have just been announced! Click through here to watch the announcements, or read on below for the breakdown.
There are some definite standouts this year, with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, perhaps unsurprisingly, pulling in the most noms at 12, and Death Stranding 2: On the Beach and Ghost of Yōtei tied for second place at 7 each. In what might be an actual surprise, Hades II just barely edged out Hollow Knight: Silksong for the fourth most nominations, landing 6 nominations to Team Cherry’s 5. Expedition 33‘s triple nomination for Best Performance really put it over the edge, but it’s hard to say that any of those weren’t deserved.
The 2025 Game Awards nominees, in order of announcement, are:
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
Best Ongoing Game
- Final Fantasy XIV
- Fortnite
- Helldivers 2
- Marvel Rivals
- No Man’s Sky
Best Mobile Game
- Destiny Rising
- Persona 5 The Phantom X
- Sonic Rumble
- Umamusume: Pretty Derby
- Wuthering Waves
Best Art Direction
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Hades II
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
Best Score & Music
- Christopher Larkin, Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Darren Korb, Hades II
- Lorien Testard, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Toma Otowa, Ghost of Yōtei
- Woodkid & Ludvig Forssell, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Best Audio Design
- Battlefield 6
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Silent Hill f
Best Adaptation
- A Minecraft Movie
- Devil May Cry
- Splinter Cell: Deathwatch
- The Last of Us, Season 2
- Until Dawn
Best Narrative
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
- Silent Hill f
Best Community Support
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Final Fantasy XIV
- Fortnite
- Helldivers 2
- No Man’s Sky
Games For Impact
- Consume Me
- Despelote
- Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
- South of Midnight
- Wanderstop
Best Multiplayer
- Arc Raiders
- Battlefield 6
- Elden Ring: Nightreign
- PEAK
- Split Fiction
Best Independent Game
- Absolum
- Ball x Pit
- Blue Prince
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Hades II
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
Best Debut Indie Game
- Blue Prince
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Despelote
- Dispatch
- Megabonk
Best VR/AR Game
- Alien: Rogue Incursion
- Arken Age
- Ghost Town
- Marvel Deadpool VR
- The Midnight Walk
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 Wolverine
- Resident Evil: Requiem
- The Witcher IV
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 Roleplaying Game
- Avowed
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
- Monster Hunter Wilds
- The Outer Worlds 2
Best Fighting Game
- 2XKO
- Capcom Fighting Collection 2
- Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves
- Mortal Kombat: Legacy Collection
- Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage
Best Action Game
- Battlefield 6
- Doom: The Dark Ages
- Hades II
- Ninja Gaiden 4
- Shinobi: Art of Vengeance
Innovation In Accessibility:
- Assassin’s Creed: Shadows
- Atomfall
- Doom: The Dark Ages
- EA Sports FC 25
- South of Midnight
Best Family Game
- Donkey Kong Bananza
- Lego Party
- Lego Voyagers
- Mario Kart World
- Sonic Racing: Crossworlds
- Split Fiction
Best Sim/Strategy Game
- The Alters
- Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles
- Jurassic World Evolution 3
- Sid Meier’s Civilization VII
- Tempest Rising
- Two Point Museum
Best Sports/Racing Game
- EA Sports FC 26
- F1 25
- Mario Kart World
- Rematch
- Sonic Racing: Crossworlds
Best eSports Game
- Counter-Strike 2
- DotA 2
- League of Legends
- Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
- Valorant
Best eSports Athlete
- Brawk
- Chovy
- F0rsaken
- 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
Best Game Direction
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Hades II
- Split Fiction
Game Of The Year
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Donkey Kong Bananza
- Hades II
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
There’s still almost a month to go until the votes are calculated and the winners announced, but you’ll be able to watch along live for all of the winners, new announcements and more on this year’s Game Awards Live 2025 on December 11, 2025.
