The 2025 Game Awards Nominees Announced: Clair Obscur Impresses with 12 Nominations

As we approach the highly anticipated event scheduled for December 11, 2025, Geoff Keighley along with The Game Awards team has unveiled the complete list of nominees for the 2025 edition of the awards ceremony. Notably, the contenders for the pinnacle accolade, Game of the Year, were prematurely circulated in leaks prior to the official announcement.

This year, the nomination landscape is unusually distinct. Leading the pack is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, commanding an impressive total of 12 nominations across various categories. This title stands out significantly, especially since it also garnered three nominations specifically for performances by its cast members. Even when excluding those performance nominations, it remains well ahead of its closest rivals—Death Stranding 2: On the Beach and Ghost of Yotei, each accumulating seven nominations.

Following closely is Hades 2 with six nominations, while Hollow Knight: Silksong earned five. Remarkably, despite being nominated for Game of the Year, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 secured only three nominations in total. Another title in the running for Game of the Year, Donkey Kong Bananza, faced a similar fate with just one additional nomination for Best Family Game.

Several recent releases have made a splash among the nominees. Interestingly, Marvel’s Deadpool VR was recognized in the Best VR/AR Game category, despite its official launch date set for tomorrow, November 18, 2025. Additionally, Dispatch made it to the Best Debut Indie list, shortly after releasing the final episode of its acclaimed eight-part series on November 12.

Voting is now officially open for The Game Awards 2025! To participate, visit the official website where you can cast your vote. Below is the comprehensive list of nominees for the 2025 Game Awards:

Complete List of Nominees for The Game Awards 2025

Best Performance

Ben Starr – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Charlie Cox – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Erika Ishii – Ghost of Yotei
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: Dawntrail
Fortnite
Helldivers 2
Marvel Rivals
No Man’s Sky

Best Mobile Game

Destiny Rising
Persona 5: The Phantom X
Sonic Rumble
Umamasume: Pretty Derby
Wuthering Waves

Best Art Direction

Chiaroscuro: Expedition 33
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Ghost of Yotei
Hades 2
Hollow Knight: Silksong

Best Score and Music

Christopher Larkin – Hollow Knight: Silksong
Darren Korb – Hades 2
Lorien Testard – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Toma Otowa – Ghost of Yotei
Woodkid and Ludvig Forssell – Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

Best Audio Design

Battlefield 6
Chiaroscuro: Expedition 33
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Ghost of Yotei
Silent Hill f

Best Adaptation

A Minecraft Movie
Devil May Cry
Splinter Cell: Deathwatch
HBO’s The Last of Us Season 2
Until Dawn

Best Narrative

Chiaroscuro: Expedition 33
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Ghost of Yotei
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
Silent Hill f

Best Community Support

Baldur’s Gate 3
Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail
Fortnite
Helldivers 2
No Man’s Sky

Games for Impact

Consume Me
Despelote
Lost Records: Bloom and Rage
South of Midnight
Wanderstop

Best Independent Game

Absolute
Ball X Pit
Blue Prince
Chiaroscuro: Expedition 33
Hades 2
Hollow Knight: Silksong

Best Debut Indie Game

Blue Prince
Chiaroscuro: Expedition 33
Despelote
Dispatch
Megabonk

Best VR/AR Game

Alien: Rogue Incursion
Ark Age
Ghost Town
Marvel’s 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 VI
Marvel’s Wolverine
Resident Evil Requiem
The Witcher IV

Best Action Adventure Game

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Ghost of Yotei
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Split Fiction

Best Role-Playing Game

Avowed
Chiaroscuro: 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 Kollection
Virtua Fighter 5 REVO World Stage

Best Action Game

Battlefield 6
DOOM: The Dark Ages
Hades 2
Ninja Gaiden 4
Shinobi: Art of Vengeance

Innovation in Accessibility

Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Atomfall
DOOM: The Dark Ages
EA Sports FC 26
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
EA Sports F1 25
Mario Kart World
Rematch
Sonic Racing: Crossworlds

Best Esports Game

Counter-Strike 2
DOTA 2
League of Legends
Mobile Legends Bang Bang
Valuing

Best Esports Athlete

Brawk
Breeding
Forsaken
Kakeru
Menard
Live

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

Chiaroscuro: Expedition 33
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Ghost of Yotei
Hades 2
Split Fiction

Game of the Year

Hollow Knight: Silksong
Chiaroscuro: Expedition 33
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Donkey Kong Bananza
Hades 2

For further details, check out the full list of nominees and images here.