The Game Awards 2025: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 leads with record nominations

2026 is just around the corner, but before that, The Game Awards, hosted by Geoff Keighley, will still close out 2025 by celebrating the best games. Today, the organizers announced the list of nominees for 29 categories , bringing together a series of outstanding titles from publishers around the world.

 

Similar to previous years, the categories range from Game of the Year to Best Mobile Game , along with a number of Esports-related awards. When the show airs next month, the results will be decided based on 90% international jury votes and 10% fan votes . Voting is now open for players to participate.

Additionally, the Player's Voice category will be entirely community-driven from nomination to final award.

This year's list features games from big names like Sony PlayStation, Microsoft Xbox, EA, and Sega. However, the most notable name is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 — a game published by Kepler Interactive that has set a record for being the most nominated game in The Game Awards history .

 

Here is the full list of categories and nominations announced:

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 II

Best Direction Game

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Ghost of Yotei
Hades II
Split Fiction

Best Story

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

Best Art Direction

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

Best background music and musical performance

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 Sound Design

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

Most impressive character 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
Atomfall
Doom: The Dark Ages
EA Sports FC 26
South of Midnight

Influential Games

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

Best long term support game

Final Fantasy XIV
Fortnite
Helldivers 2
Marvel Rivals
No Man's Sky

Best community support

Baldur's Gate 3
Final Fantasy XIV
Fortnite
Helldivers 2
No Man's Sky

Best Indie Game

Absolum
Ball x Pit
Blue Prince
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Hades II
Hollow Knight: Silksong

Best Indie Debut Game

Blue Prince
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Despelote
Dispatch
Megabonk

Best mobile games

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

 

Best VR/AR experience

Alien: Rogue Incursion
Arken Age
Ghost Town
Marvel's Deadpool VR
The Midnight Walk

Best action game

Battlefield 6
Doom: The Dark Ages
Hades II
Ninja Gaiden 4
Shinobi: Art of Vengeance

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 RPG Game

Avowed
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
Monster Hunter Wilds
The Outer Worlds 2

Best fighting game

2XKO
Capcom Fighting Collection 2
Fatal Fury: City of Wolves
Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection
Virtua Fighter 5 REVO World Stage

Best family games

Donkey Kong Bananza
Lego Party!
Lego Voyagers
Mario Kart World
Sonic Racing: Crossworlds
Split Fiction

Best Simulation/Strategy Game

Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles
Jurassic World Evolution 3
Sid Meier's Civilization VII
Tempest Rising
The Alters
Two Point Museum

Best sports/racing game

EA Sports FC 26
F1 25
Mario Kart World
Rematch
Sonic Racing: Crossworlds

Best multiplayer games

Arc Raiders
Battlefield 6
Elden Ring Nightreign
Peak
Split Fiction

Best Adaptation

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

Most anticipated game

007 First Light
Grand Theft Auto VI
Marvel's Wolverine
Resident Evil Requiem
The Witcher IV

Content Creator of the Year

Caedrel
Kai Cenat
MoistCr1TiKaL
Sakura Miko
The Burnt Peanut

Best Esports Games

Counter-Strike 2
Dota 2
League of Legends
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
Valorant

Best Esports Athlete

brawk – Brock Somerhalder
Chovy – Jeong Ji-Hoon
f0rsakeN – Jason Susanto
Kakeru – Kakeru Watanabe
MenaRD – Saul Leonardo
Zyw0o – Mathieu Herbaut

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

The Game Awards 2025 will take place on Thursday, December 11 , live from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The event will be broadcast on YouTube, Twitch, X, Facebook Live, and more, with tons of new game announcements, trailers, and special surprises.