The Game Awards 2025: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Leads with Record

The 2025 Game Awards nominations have been announced with 29 categories. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 sets a record as the most nominated game in the history of the awards ceremony.

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.

FAQ

What should you know about the game awards 2025?

In practical terms, the 2025 Game Awards nominations have been announced with 29 categories. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 sets a record as the most nominated game in the history of the awards ceremony.

Why does the game awards 2025 matter?

The article highlights that 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 .

What is the main takeaway?

The main takeaway is that 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.