On November 17, the nominees for The Game Awards 2025 will be revealed live. Last year, Astro Bot claimed the coveted Game of the Year title along with Best Game Direction, Best Family Game, and Best Action/Adventure Game. Balatro and Metaphor: ReFantazio also scored big wins and continue to be popular topics of conversation today.
Game of the Year 2025
Nominee | Developer |
Clair Obscur Expedition 33 | Sandfall Interactive |
Death Stranding 2: On The Beach | Kojima Productions |
Donkey Kong Bonanza | Nintendo |
Hades 2 | Supergiant Games |
Hollow Knight: Silksong | Team Cherry |
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II | Warhorse Studios |
Best Game Direction
Nominee | Developer |
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 | Sandfall Interactive |
Death Stranding 2: On The Beach | Kojima Productions |
Ghost of Yotei | Sucker Punch Productions |
Hades II | Supergiant Games |
Split Fiction | Hazelight Studios |
Best Performance
Nominee | Game |
Ben Starr | Clair Obscur Expedition 33 |
Charlie Cox | Clair Obscur Expedition 33 |
Erika Ishi | Ghost of Yotei |
Jennifer English | Clair Obscur Expedition 33 |
Konatsu Kato | Silent Hill F |
Troy Baker | Indiana Jones & The Great Circle |
Best Ongoing Game
Nominee | Developer |
Final Fantasy XIV | Square Enix |
Fortnite | Epic Games |
Helldivers 2 | Arrowhead Game Studios |
Marvel Rivals | NetEase Games |
No Man's Sky | Hello Games |
Best Mobile Game
Nominee | Developer |
Destiny Rising | NetEase Games |
Persona 5: The Phantom X | Black Wings Game Studio |
Sonic Rumble | Rovio Entertainment, Sonic Team |
Umamusume: Pretty Derby | Cygames |
Wuthering Waves | Kuro Games |
Best Art Direction
Nominee | Developer |
Clair Obscure Expedition 33 | Sandfall Interactive |
Death Stranding 2: On The Beach | Kojima Productions |
Ghost of Yotei | Sucker Punch Productions |
Hades 2 | Supergiant Games |
Hollow Knight: Silksong | Team Cherry |
Best Score & Music
Nominee | Game |
Christopher Larkin | Hollow Knight: Silksong |
Darren Korb | Hades 2 |
Lorien Testard | Clair Obscur Expedition 33 |
Toma Otowa | Ghost of Yotei |
Woodkid & Ludvig Forssell | Death Stranding 2: On The Beach |
Best Audio Design
Nominee | Developer |
Battlefield 6 | Battlefield Studios |
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 | Sandfall Interactive |
Death Stranding 2: On The Beach | Kojima Productions |
Ghost of Yotei | Sucker Punch Productions |
Silent Hill f | NeoBards Entertainment |
Best Adaptation
Nominee | Studio |
A Minecraft Movie | Legendary Pictures |
Devil May Cry (Netflix) | Studio Mir |
Splinter Cell Deathwatch | Netflix Animation |
The Last Of Us Season 2 | HBO |
Until Dawn | Sony Pictures Releasing |
Best Narrative
Nominee | Developer |
Clair Obsur Expedition 33 | Sandfall Interactive |
Death Stranding 2: On The Beach | Kojima Productions |
Ghost of Yotei | Sucker Punch Productions |
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II | Warhorse Studios |
Silent Hlil F | NeoBards Entertainment |
Best Community Support
Nominee | Developer |
Baldur’s Gate 3 | Larian Studios |
Final Fantasy XIV | Square Enix |
Fortnite | Epic Games |
Helldivers 2 | Arrowhead Game Studios |
No Man’s Sky | Hello Games |
Games For Impact
Nominee | Developer |
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 Multiplayer
Nominee | Developer |
Arc Raiders | Embark Studios |
Battlefield 6 | Battlefield Studios |
Elden Ring Neightreign | FromSoftware |
Peak | Aggro Crab: Landfall |
Split Fiction | Hazelight/EA |
Best Independent Game
Nominee | Developer |
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 2 | Supergiant Games |
Hollow Knight: Silksong | Team Cherry |
Best Debut Indie Game
Nominee | Developer |
Blue Prince | Dogubomb/Raw Fury |
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 | Sandfall Interactive |
Despelote | Julián Cordero/Sebastián Valbuena/Panic |
Dispatch | AdHoc Studio |
Megabonk | Vedinad |
Best VR/AR Game
Nominee | Developer |
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 |
Content Creator Of The Year
Nominee |
MoistCr1TiKaL |
Caedrel |
Kai Cenat |
Sakura Miko |
The Burnt Peanut |
Most Anticipated Game
Nominee | Developer |
007 First Light | IO Interactive |
Grand Theft Auto 6 | Rockstar Games |
Marvel's Wolverine | Insomniac Games |
Resident Evil Requium | Capcom |
The Witcher IV | CD Projekt Red |
Best Fighting Game
Nominee | Developer |
2XKO | Riot Games |
Capcom Fighting Collection 2 | Capcom |
Fatal Future: City Of The Wolves | SNK Corporation |
Mortal Kombat Legacy Kollection | Digital Eclipse/Atari |
Virtua Fighter 5: REVO World Stage | Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio/Sega |
Best Action Game
Nominee | Developer |
Battlefield 6 | Battlefield Studios |
Doom: The Dark Ages | id Software |
Hades 2 | Supergiant Games |
Ninja Gaiden 4 | Platinum Games/Team Ninja |
Shinobi: Art Of Vengeance | Lizardcube/Sega |
Innovation In Accessibility
Nominee | Developer |
Assassin’s Creed Shadows | Ubisoft |
Atomfall | Rebellion |
Doom: The Dark Ages | Id Software |
EA Sports FC 26 | EA Canada |
South of Midnight | Compulsion Games |
Best Family Game
Nominee | Developer |
Donkey Kong Bananza | Nintendo |
LEGO Party! | SMG Studios |
LEGO Voyagers | Light Brick Studios |
Mario Kart World | Nintendo |
Sonic Racing: Crossworlds | Sonic Team |
Split Fiction | Hazelight Studios |
Best Sports/Racing Game
Nominee | Developer |
EA Sports FC 26 | EA Canada |
F1 25 | Codemasters |
Mario Kart World | Nintendo |
Rematch | Sloclap |
Sonic Racing: Crossworlds | Sonic Team |
Best eSports Game
Nominee | Developer |
Counter-Strike 2 | Valve |
DOTA 2 | Valve |
League of Legends | Riot |
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang | Moonton |
Valorant | Riot |
Best esports Athlete
Nominee | Game |
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
Nominee | Game |
Gen.G | League of Legends |
NRG | Valorant |
Team Falcons | DOTA 2 |
Team Liquid PH | Mobile Legends: Bang Bang |
Team Vitality | Counter-Strike 2 |
Who Are The Game Awards 2025 Nominees?
The Overall Category Is Competitive
As expected, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Hades II, and Hollow Knight: Silksong are among the biggest contenders, all vying for the 2025 Game of the Year title. Usually, games with multiple nominations across categories have the best shot at winning, but surprises can happen. I could see Donkey Kong Bonanza or even Kingdom Come: Deliverance II pulling off an upset due to vote-splitting. Best Performance is especially intriguing, with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 dominating half the nominations. Best Action Game could also be a tight race, with Ninja Gaiden 4 potentially edging out Hades II, which already boasts plenty of nods. And with DLC, remakes, and expansions eligible since 2024, some unexpected entries made the cut. We’ll find out the winners when The Game Awards kicks off on December 11.
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