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The Game Awards 2025 Nominees Announced: Is ‘Expedition 33’ The Clear Winner, And What Was Snubbed?

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It's almost December, and that means one thing. If you guessed Christmas, you guessed incorrectly. The Game Awards are taking place this year on December 11th, and that means we'll be watching closely to see who wins Game of the Year and many other awards. It's a night to share with gamers and developers across the world as they get honoured for their creative and technical achievements throughout the year. Alongside developers earning their flowers and well-deserved respect, it's also a night full of game announcements that will have gamers talking all throughout the night.


The nominees for The Game Awards were announced today, with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 taking 12 nominations and Sony Interactive Entertainment gaining the most nominations for a publisher with 19 nominations.


There were expectations early on in the year that Split Fiction was a clear Game of the Year contender with how innovative it was with its split-screen technology and how it integrated it into its narrative and gameplay, but the game seems to be missing from this year's Game of the Year nominations despite Hazelight Studios' previous game receiving a Game of the Year nomination. Despite the upset, Split Fiction has still received four nominations, making the list of the most nominated games at this year's The Game Awards.


Another game that people might be disappointed in not receiving a Game of the Year nomination for is Dispatch, an episodic game that recently released and had its final episode release last week. It made the cut, as it was nominated for Best Debut Indie Game, but didn't find itself gaining any other nominations despite the critical praise it has received for performances, narrative, art direction and much more.

Game of the Year

  • Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandall Interactive/Kepler Interactive)

  • Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (Kojima Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment)

  • Donkey Kong Bananza (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)

  • Hades II (Supergiant Games)

  • Hollow Knight: Silksong (Team Cherry)

  • Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (Warhorse Studios/Deep Silver)


Best Game Direction

  • Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandall Interactive/Kepler Interactive)

  • Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (Kojima Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment)

  • Ghost of Yotei (Sucker Punch Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment)

  • Hades II (Supergiant Games)

  • Split Fiction (Hazelight Studios/EA)


Best Narrative

  • Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandall Interactive/Kepler Interactive)

  • Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (Kojima Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment)

  • Ghost of Yotei (Sucker Punch Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment)

  • Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (Warhorse Studios/Deep Silver)

  • Silent Hill f (Neobards Entertainment/Konami)


Best Art Direction

  • Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandall Interactive/Kepler Interactive)

  • Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (Kojima Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment)

  • Ghost of Yotei (Sucker Punch Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment)

  • Hades II (Supergiant Games)

  • Hollow Knight: Silksong (Team Cherry)

Best Score and Music

  • Christopher Larkin (Hollow Knight: Silksong)

  • Darren Korb (Hades II)

  • Lorien Testard (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33)

  • Toma Otowa (Ghost of Yotei)

  • Woodkid & Ludvig Forssell (Death Stranding 2: On the Beach)


Best Audio Design

  • Battlefield 6 (Battlefield Studios/EA)

  • Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandall Interactive/Kepler Interactive)

  • Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (Kojima Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment)

  • Ghost of Yotei (Sucker Punch Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment)

  • Silent Hill f (Neobards Entertainment/Konami)


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)


Innovation in Accessibility

  • Assassin's Creed Shadows (Ubisoft)

  • Atomfall (Rebellion)

  • Doom: The Dark Ages (ID Software/Bethesda Softworks)

  • EA Sports FC 26 (EA Canada/EA Romania/EA)

  • South of Midnight (Compulsion Games/Xbox Game Studios)

Games For Impact

  • Consume Me (Hexacutable)

  • Despolote (Panic)

  • Lost Records: Bloom & Rage (Don't Nod Montréal/Don't Nod)

  • South of Midnight (Compulsion Games/Xbox Game Studios)

  • Wanderstop (Ivy Road/Annapurna Interactive)


Best Ongoing Game

  • Final Fantasy XIV (Square Enix Business Division 5/Square Enix)

  • Fortnite (Epic Games)

  • Helldivers 2 (Arrowhead Game Studios/Sony Interactive Entertainment)

  • Marvel Rivals (NetEase Games)

  • No Man's Sky (Hello Games)


Best Community Support

  • Baldur's Gate 3 (Larian Studios)

  • Final Fantasy XIV (Square Enix Business Division 5/Square Enix)

  • Fortnite (Epic Games)

  • Helldivers 2 (Arrowhead Game Studios/Sony Interactive Entertainment)

  • No Man's Sky (Hello Games)


Best Independent Game

  • Absolum (Guard Crush Games/Supamonks/Dotemu)

  • Ball x Pit (Kenny Sun/Devolver Digital)

  • Blue Prince (Dogubomb/Raw Fury)

  • Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandall Interactive/Kepler Interactive)

  • Hades II (Supergiant Games)

  • Hollow Knight: Silksong (Team Cherry)


Best Debut Indie Game

  • Blue Prince (Dogubomb/Raw Fury)

  • Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandall Interactive/Kepler Interactive)

  • Despolote (Panic)

  • Dispatch (AdHoc Studio)

  • Megabonk (Vedinad)


Best Mobile Game

  • Destiny: Rising (NetEase Games)

  • Persona 5: The Phantom X (Black Wings Game Studio/Perfect World/Atlus/Sega)

  • Sonic Rumble (Rovio Entertainment/Sonic Team/Sega)

  • Umamusume: Pretty Derby (Cygames/Kakao Games/Komoe Game/Bilibili)

  • Wuthering Waves (Kuro Games)


Best VR/AR Game

  • Alien: Rogue Incursion (Survios)

  • Arken Age (VitruviusVR/Vitruvius Technologies Inc.)

  • Ghost Town (Fireproof Games)

  • Marvel's Deadpool VR (Twisted Pixel Games/Oculus Studios)

  • The Midnight Walk (MoonHood/Fast Travel Games)

Best Action Game

  • Battlefield 6 (Battlefield Studios/EA)

  • Doom: The Dark Ages (id Software/Bethesda Softworks)

  • Hades II (Supergiant Games)

  • Ninja Gaiden 4 (Team Ninja/PlatinumGames/Xbox Game Studios)

  • Shinobi: Art of Vengeance (Lizardcube/Sega)


Best Action/Adventure Game

  • Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (Kojima Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment)

  • Ghost of Yotei (Sucker Punch Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment)

  • Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

  • Hollow Knight: Silksong (Team Cherry)

  • Split Fiction (Hazelight Studios/EA)


Best RPG

  • Avowed (Obsidian Entertainment/Xbox Game Studios)

  • Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandall Interactive/Kepler Interactive)

  • Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (Warhorse Studios/Deep Silver)

  • The Outer Worlds 2 (Obsidian Entertainment/Xbox Game Studios)

  • Monster Hunter Wilds (Capcom)


Best Fighting Game

  • 2XKO (Riot Games)

  • Capcom Fighting Collection 2 (Capcom)

  • Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves (SNK Corporation)

  • Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection (Digital Eclipse/Atari)

  • Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage (Ry Ga Gotoku Studio/Sega)


Best Family Game

  • Donkey Kong Bananza (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)

  • LEGO Party! (SMG Studio/Fictions)

  • LEGO Voyagers (Light Brick Studios/Annapurna Interactive)

  • Mario Kart World (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)

  • Sonic Racing: Crossworlds (Sonic Team/Sega)

  • Split Fiction (Hazelight Studios/EA)

Best Sim/Strategy Game

  • Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles (Square Enix)

  • Jurassic World Evolution 3 (Frontier Developments)

  • Sid Meier's Civilization VII (Firaxis Games/2K)

  • Tempest Rising (Slipgate Ironworks/3D Realms)

  • The Alters (11 Bit Studios)

  • Two Point Museum (Two Point Studios/Sega)


Best Sports/Racing Game

  • EA Sports FC 26 (EA Canada/EA Romania/EA)

  • F1 25 (Codemasters/EA)

  • Mario Kart World (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)

  • Rematch (Sloclap/Kepler Interactive)

  • Sonic Racing: Crossworlds (Sonic Team/Sega)


Best Multiplayer Game

  • Arc Raiders (Embark Studios)

  • Battlefield 6 (Battlefield Studios/EA)

  • Elden Ring Nightreign (FromSoftware/Bandai Namco Entertainment)

  • Peak (Aggro Crab/Landfall)

  • Split Fiction (Hazelight Studios/EA)


Best Adaptation

  • A Minecraft Movie (Warner Bros. Pictures)

  • Devil May Cry (Netflix)

  • The Last of Us: Season 2 (HBO)

  • Splinter Cell: Deathwatch (Netflix)

  • Until Dawn (Sony Pictures)


Most Anticipated Game

  • 007 First Light (IO INteractive)

  • Grand Theft Auto VI (Rockstar Games)

  • Marvel's Wolverine (Insomniac Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment)

  • Resident Evil: Requiem (Capcom)

  • The Witcher IV (CD Projekt Red/CD Projekt)

Content Creator of the Year

  • Caedrel

  • Kai Cenat

  • MoistCr1TiKaL

  • Sakura Miko

  • The Burnt Peanut


Best Esports Game

  • Counter-Strike 2 (Valve)

  • DOTA 2 (Valve)

  • League of Legends (Riot)

  • Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (Moonton)

  • Valorant (Riot)


Best Esports Athlete

  • brawk - Brock Somerhalder (Valorant)

  • Chovy - Jeong Ji-hoon (League of Legends)

  • fOrsakeN - Jason Susanto (Valorant)

  • Kakeru - Kakeru Watanabe (Street Fighter)

  • MenaRD - Saul Leonardo (Street Fighter)

  • ZywOo - Mathieu Herbaut (Counter-Strike 2)

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)


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