The Game Awards 2025, held on December 11, 2025, concluded with historic results as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 made unprecedented waves across the gaming industry. The French RPG developed by Sandfall Interactive and published by Kepler Interactive became the most-awarded game in The Game Awards history with nine total wins from twelve nominations, breaking The Last of Us: Part II‘s previous record.
Beyond its dominant performance at The Game Awards, Expedition 33 swept the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards, winning all seven awards it was nominated for, including Ultimate Game of the Year. This feat tied Baldur’s Gate 3‘s record and set a new standard for debut indie game success.
1. Game of the Year 2025
Game of the Year represents the highest honor in gaming, recognizing the title that best embodies excellence across all creative and technical disciplines. This year’s selection reflects the gaming industry’s recognition of a debut indie title that challenged expectations and delivered an unforgettable experience to millions of players worldwide.
The Game of the Year category showcases the year’s most impactful and acclaimed titles, each representing different genres and design philosophies. Winners in this category demonstrate comprehensive excellence in narrative, gameplay, technical achievement, and artistic vision. These games have left lasting impressions on the gaming community and influenced industry conversations about game design and storytelling.
- Winner: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Donkey Kong Bananza
- Hades II
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
Game of the Year 2025 goes to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
2. Best Game Direction
Best Game Direction celebrates creative vision and executive leadership in game design. This category recognizes how developers conceptualize their games and execute those visions through every aspect of the player experience, from pacing and design philosophy to narrative integration and overall game flow.
Games that win Best Game Direction demonstrate masterful control over their creative identity. The directors and design leads showcase their ability to maintain a cohesive vision while coordinating across multiple departments. This award reflects the artistic leadership that transforms ambitious concepts into compelling, playable experiences.
- Winner: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Hades II
- Split Fiction
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Wins Best Game Direction.
3. Best Narrative
Best Narrative honors storytelling excellence through writing quality, character development, dialogue, and emotional resonance. This category recognizes games that leverage interactive media to tell stories in ways unique to gaming, creating narratives that couldn’t exist in film or television.
Narrative-focused games demonstrate how interactive choice, player agency, and pacing can enhance storytelling. Winners in this category showcase exceptional writing that creates memorable characters, compelling conflicts, and moments that resonate emotionally with players. These titles prove that video games can achieve narrative depth comparable to the finest literature and cinema.
- Winner: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
- Silent Hill f
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Wins Best Narrative at The Game Awards 2025.
4. Best Art Direction
Art Direction recognizes visual identity and aesthetic cohesion, from character and environment design to the overall visual language that defines a game’s world. This award celebrates how artists establish distinctive looks that make games instantly recognizable and memorable.
The best art direction creates visual experiences that support and enhance the game’s narrative and gameplay. Winners demonstrate mastery of color theory, composition, character design, and environmental storytelling. Whether achieving this through photorealism, stylization, or unique artistic approaches, these games showcase how visual design elevates the entire gaming experience.
- Winner: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Hades II
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Wins Best Art Direction at The Game Awards 2025.
5. Best Score and Music
Best Score and Music celebrates original compositions and audio direction that enhance emotional impact and gameplay. Video game music has evolved into a sophisticated art form, with composers crafting complex scores that adapt to player actions, creating dynamic soundscapes.
Winners in this category demonstrate exceptional talent in crafting themes that define characters and environments, creating leitmotifs that resonate throughout games, and implementing music that enhances rather than distracts from gameplay. These original scores have become as memorable and celebrated as film soundtracks.
- Winner: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Hades II
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
Lorien Testard Wins Best Score and Music at The Game Awards 2025.
6. Best Audio Design
Best Audio Design encompasses sound effects, environmental audio, voice acting, and overall sonic design to create immersive experiences. This category recognizes technical and creative excellence in game audio, from subtle environmental details to prominent sound design elements.
Audio design winners demonstrate how sound enhances immersion and supports gameplay. Exceptional audio design works invisibly, creating believable environments and reinforcing player actions through satisfying audio feedback. Voice acting implementation, music mixing, and sound effect choices all contribute to building cohesive auditory experiences.
- Winner: Battlefield 6
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Silent Hill f
7. Best Performance
Best Performance celebrates outstanding voice acting and motion capture work that brings characters to life. This category recognizes performers who deliver nuanced, emotionally authentic performances that enhance narrative immersion and character connection.
Winning performances demonstrate exceptional vocal range, emotional depth, and the ability to convey complex emotions through voice alone. Motion capture performances showcase physical acting talent that translates to digital characters. These performances prove that interactive media can showcase acting talent at the highest levels of artistic achievement.
- Winner: Jennifer English (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as Maelle)
- Ben Starr (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as Verso)
- Charlie Cox (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as Gustave)
- Erika Ishii (Ghost of Yōtei as Atsu)
- Konatsu Kato (Silent Hill f as Hinako)
- Troy Baker (Indiana Jones and the Great Circle as Indiana Jones)
Jennifer English Wins Best Performance Award as Maelle in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
8. Best Action Game
Best Action Game recognizes titles that deliver compelling moment-to-moment gameplay through combat, reflexes, and tactical decision-making. This category celebrates games where action sequences are engaging, well-designed, and central to the player experience.
Action game winners showcase responsive controls, smart enemy AI, varied combat scenarios, and rewarding player skill expression. Whether through fast-paced combat or deliberate tactical gameplay, these titles demonstrate excellence in making actions feel satisfying and meaningful.
- Winner: Hades II
- Battlefield 6
- Doom: The Dark Ages
- Ninja Gaiden 4
- Shinobi: Art of Vengeance
Hades II Wins Best Action Game at The Game Awards 2025.
9. Best Action/Adventure Game
Best Action/Adventure Game recognizes titles that blend exploration, narrative, and combat into cohesive experiences. This category celebrates games that emphasize player agency, environmental interaction, and seamless transitions between action and adventure elements.
Action/Adventure winners demonstrate how exploration and discovery enhance action sequences. These games showcase level design that encourages player experimentation, environmental storytelling that rewards exploration, and combat encounters that feel organic to the world. Winners balance narrative pacing with the freedom to explore.
- Winner: Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
- Split Fiction
Hollow Knight: Silksong Wins Best Action/Adventure Game at The Game Awards 2025.
10. Best RPG
Best Role-Playing Game celebrates games that offer deep character customization, complex systems, and compelling narratives that reward player investment. This category recognizes the diversity of RPG design philosophies and approaches to character progression and worldbuilding.
RPG winners showcase excellent character development systems, meaningful implementation of choice, and worlds that feel alive and reactive to player decisions. Whether turn-based, real-time, or hybrid systems, these games demonstrate mastery of RPG mechanics and design.
- Winner: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Avowed
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
- Monster Hunter Wilds
- The Outer Worlds 2
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Wins Best RPG Award at The Game Awards 2025.
11. Best Fighting Game
Best Fighting Game celebrates competitive gameplay, character design, and mechanical depth that enable both casual enjoyment and professional esports competition. This category recognizes excellence in fighting games across various franchises and new properties.
Fighting game winners demonstrate balanced mechanics that reward skill and practice, diverse character rosters with unique playstyles, and systems that create competitive depth while remaining accessible to newcomers. These games foster thriving communities of both casual and professional players.
- Winner: Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves
- 2XKO
- Capcom Fighting Collection 2
- Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection
- Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage
12. Best Family Game
Best Family Game recognizes titles designed to be accessible and enjoyable across diverse age groups and skill levels. This category celebrates inclusive design and wholesome gaming experiences that bring families together.
Family game winners demonstrate how excellent design principles create games that appeal to players of all ages. These titles showcase smart difficulty balancing, precise mechanics, and engaging content that entertains multiple generations. Winners prove that games designed for broad audiences can achieve exceptional quality.
- Winner: Donkey Kong Bananza
- LEGO Party!
- LEGO Voyagers
- Mario Kart World
- Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
- Split Fiction
13. Best Sim/Strategy Game
Best Sim/Strategy Game honors titles that reward planning, tactical thinking, and long-term strategic vision. This category encompasses games ranging from turn-based strategy to complex management simulations and real-time tactical experiences.
Strategy game winners demonstrate excellent systems design that creates emergent gameplay through complex mechanics. Whether managing civilizations, evolving creatures, or commanding armies, these games showcase how strategic depth creates engaging, replayable experiences.
- Winner: FINAL FANTASY TACTICS: The Ivalice Chronicles
- The Alters
- Jurassic World Evolution 3
- Sid Meier’s Civilization VII
- Tempest Rising
- Two Point Museum
Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles Wins Best Sim/Strategy at The Game Awards 2025.
14. Best Sports/Racing Game
Best Sports/Racing Game delivers competitive experiences centered around athletic competition or vehicular racing. This category recognizes both simulation-focused titles and arcade-style experiences that capture the excitement of sport.
Sports and racing game winners demonstrate excellent physics, competitive balance, and engaging career modes or online competition. These titles showcase how sports game mechanics create satisfying competition while maintaining the unique characteristics of specific sports.
- Winner: Mario Kart World
- EA Sports FC 26
- F1 25
- Rematch
- Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
Mario Kart World Wins Best Sports/Racing Game at The Game Awards 2025.
15. Best Multiplayer Game
Best Multiplayer Game showcases excellence in online design, balance, and community engagement that foster long-term player retention. This category recognizes both competitive and cooperative multiplayer experiences that create engaging shared experiences.
Multiplayer game winners demonstrate thoughtful matchmaking systems, balanced gameplay that prevents pay-to-win mechanics, and regular content updates that keep communities engaged. These games create spaces where players can build friendships and communities.
- Winner: Arc Raiders
- Battlefield 6
- Elden Ring Nightreign
- Peak
- Split Fiction
Arc Raiders Wins Best Multiplayer Game at The Game Awards 2025.
16. Best Ongoing Game
Best Ongoing Game recognizes games that receive substantial post-launch support through content updates, expansions, and community engagement. This category celebrates developers who remain committed to their games long after release.
Ongoing game winners demonstrate dedication to player satisfaction through responsive updates addressing feedback, meaningful new content that extends gameplay, and seasonal events that bring communities together. These games show how live service models can create lasting value for players.
- Winner: No Man’s Sky
- Final Fantasy XIV
- Fortnite
- Helldivers 2
- Marvel Rivals
No Man’s Sky Wins Best Ongoing Game at The Game Awards 2025.
17. Best Community Support
Best Community Support celebrates developers who actively engage with their player communities and implement feedback. This category recognizes developers who foster welcoming environments where player loyalty and organic community growth thrive.
Community support winners demonstrate genuine engagement with players through developer communication, rapid response to concerns, and implementation of community feedback into game development. These developers prove that community investment creates stronger games and more loyal audiences.
- Winner: Baldur’s Gate 3
- Final Fantasy XIV
- Fortnite
- Helldivers 2
- No Man’s Sky
Baldur’s Gate 3 Wins Best Community Support at The Game Awards 2025.
18. Best Independent Game
Best Independent Game honors games created by teams outside large publishing structures. This category showcases innovation, unique creativity, and artistic vision in small-to-medium team development.
Independent game winners prove that exceptional games don’t require massive budgets or large studios. These titles demonstrate creative ambition, technical skill, and the ability to capture audiences through unique design philosophies and compelling experiences that challenge industry conventions.
- Winner: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Absolum
- Ball x Pit
- Blue Prince
- Hades II
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Wins Best Independent Game at The Game Awards 2025.
19. Best Debut Indie Game
Best Debut Indie Game specifically recognizes exceptional first games from indie developers. This category celebrates fresh creative voices and the potential of emerging independent studios to deliver high-quality gaming experiences.
Debut indie game winners demonstrate remarkable accomplishment for their first projects, showcasing mature game design, technical competence, and creative vision that often rivals that of established studios. These games prove that first-time developers can achieve exceptional results.
- Winner: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Blue Prince
- Despelote
- Dispatch
- Megabonk
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Wins Best Debut Indie Game at The Game Awards 2025.
20. Best Mobile Game
Best Mobile Game celebrates excellent games designed for smartphones and tablets. This category recognizes how mobile gaming has evolved into a platform capable of delivering full-featured, high-quality gaming experiences.
Mobile game winners showcase how constraints of mobile platforms can drive creative design solutions. These games demonstrate that mobile gaming can achieve narrative depth, mechanical sophistication, and artistic achievement comparable to traditional gaming platforms.
- Winner: Umamusume: Pretty Derby
- Destiny: Rising
- Persona 5: The Phantom X
- Sonic Rumble
- Wuthering Waves
Umamusume: Pretty Derby Wins Best Mobile Game at The Game Awards 2025.
21. Best VR/AR Game
Best VR/AR Game recognizes innovative uses of immersive technologies that create novel gaming experiences impossible in traditional formats. This category celebrates technical achievement and compelling design, specifically those that leverage virtual and augmented reality.
VR/AR game winners showcase how immersive technologies enhance player presence and engagement. These games demonstrate that VR and AR aren’t just technological novelties but platforms capable of creating unique, memorable experiences that wouldn’t work in traditional gaming formats.
- Winner: The Midnight Walk
- Alien: Rogue Incursion
- Arken Age
- Ghost Town
- Marvel’s Deadpool VR
The Midnight Walk Wins Best VR/AR Game at The Game Awards 2025.
22. Innovation in Accessibility
Innovation in Accessibility recognizes games that implement advanced accessibility features, enabling players with disabilities to enjoy gaming fully. This category celebrates accessibility innovations that benefit all players while specifically addressing underserved communities.
Accessibility winners demonstrate a commitment to inclusive design through features such as customizable controls, subtitle options, colorblind modes, and cognitive accessibility considerations. These innovations prove that accessibility improvements enhance games for everyone while opening gaming to broader audiences.
- Winner: Doom: The Dark Ages
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows
- Atomfall
- EA Sports FC 26
- South of Midnight
23. Games for Impact
Games for Impact celebrates titles that explore meaningful themes and social issues, using gaming as a medium for examining complex human experiences. This category recognizes games that foster positive social change and cultural conversations through interactive storytelling.
Games for Impact winners demonstrate how gaming can address serious topics with nuance and respect. These titles prove that games can tackle social issues, mental health, environmental concerns, and human rights in ways that promote understanding and empathy.
- Winner: South of Midnight
- Consume Me
- Despelote
- Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
- Wanderstop
South of Midnight Wins Games for Impact at The Game Awards 2025.
24. Best Adaptation
Best Adaptation recognizes exceptional video game-to-screen adaptations, including films, television series, and other media formats. This category celebrates projects that successfully translate interactive narratives into compelling entertainment across different media.
Adaptation winners demonstrate how games can inspire quality content in other media. These projects prove that video game source material can achieve critical and audience success when adapted with respect for the original while embracing the unique possibilities of their new medium.
- Winner: The Last of Us: Season 2
- A Minecraft Movie
- Devil May Cry
- Splinter Cell: Deathwatch
- Until Dawn
The Last of Us Season 2 Wins Best Adaptation at The Game Awards 2025.
25. Most Anticipated Game
Most Anticipated Game recognizes upcoming titles generating significant player excitement and industry buzz. This category represents games on the horizon that audiences eagerly await and that represent the future of gaming.
Most Anticipated game winners reflect industry trends and player interests. These games represent studios’ most ambitious projects, franchise continuations that break new ground, and original properties with compelling premises that capture imagination.
- Winner: Grand Theft Auto VI
- 007 First Light
- Marvel’s Wolverine
- Resident Evil Requiem
- The Witcher IV
26. Content Creator of the Year
Content Creator of the Year celebrates individuals who have made significant contributions to gaming communities through streaming, videos, and community engagement. This category recognizes creators who influence and inspire millions of players worldwide.
Content creator winners demonstrate excellence in entertainment, community building, and gaming expertise. These individuals drive conversation about games, foster communities, and make gaming content accessible and entertaining to audiences of all backgrounds and experience levels.
- Winner: MoistCr1TiKaL
- Caedrel
- Kai Cenat
- Sakura Miko
- The BurntPeanut
27. Best Esports Game
Best Esports Game recognizes titles that foster competitive gaming communities and professional esports scenes. This category celebrates games that demonstrate balanced mechanics, spectator appeal, and systems that support thriving professional ecosystems.
Esports game winners showcase mechanics that reward skill and consistency while remaining balanced across patch cycles. These games foster professional communities, support substantial prize pools, and maintain viewer engagement across multiple seasons of competition.
- Winner: Counter-Strike 2
- Dota 2
- League of Legends
- Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
- Valorant
28. Best Esports Athlete
Best Esports Athlete celebrates individual esports athletes who demonstrate exceptional skill, consistency, and competitive excellence across professional tournaments and seasons. This category recognizes athletes who represent the highest levels of achievement in competitive gaming.
Esports athletes who win demonstrate technical mastery, mental resilience under pressure, and the ability to perform consistently across different tournament formats and opponents. These athletes inspire aspiring competitors and prove that esports competition deserves recognition alongside traditional athletic achievement.
- Winner: Chovy
- Brawk
- F0rsakeN
- Kakeru
- MenaRD
- Zyw0o
29. Best Esports Team
Best Esports Team recognizes professional organizations that demonstrate excellence in competition, teamwork, and competitive achievement throughout esports seasons. This category celebrates teams that perform consistently at the highest levels of competition.
Esports team winners demonstrate exceptional coordination, strategic innovation, and the ability to adapt to evolving metagames. These teams represent esports professionalism through dedication to practice, coaching excellence, and consistent championship contention.
- Winner: Team Vitality – Counter-Strike 2
- Gen.G – League of Legends
- NRG – Valorant
- Team Falcons – Dota 2
- Team Liquid PH – Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
30. Players’ Voice
Players’ Voice allows the gaming community to vote directly for their favorite games, giving grassroots player preferences equal weight to industry recognition. This category represents the most democratic Game Awards category, with winners determined entirely by fan voting.
Players’ Voice winners reflect what games genuinely resonate with player communities. This category demonstrates how community enthusiasm and engagement drive gaming culture, often highlighting games that might not receive recognition from industry juries but have captured audiences’ hearts and imaginations.
- Winner: Wuthering Waves
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Dispatch
- Genshin Impact
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
Wuthering Waves Wins Players’ Choice Award at The Game Awards 2025.
31. Game Changer Award
The Game Changer Award recognizes organizations, individuals, or initiatives that have made meaningful contributions to the gaming industry beyond entertainment. This award celebrates those fostering growth, opportunity, and positive change in gaming communities.
Game Changer award winners demonstrate commitment to expanding who gets to participate in gaming and game development. These organizations and individuals work toward making the gaming industry more inclusive, accessible, and welcoming to underrepresented communities.
Winner: Girls Make Games
Girls Make Games, an organization offering summer camps, workshops, and game jams designed to inspire the next generation of designers, creators, and engineers, was recognized for its commitment to fostering diversity and nurturing emerging talent in game development. The organization has introduced thousands of young people to game creation and continues expanding opportunities for underrepresented voices in the industry.
Girls Make Games Wins Game Changer Award at The Game Awards 2025.
32. The Game Awards 2025 Summary
The Game Awards 2025 culminated in a historic night for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which demonstrated unprecedented recognition across multiple categories. The diversity of winners across genres, platforms, and styles reflects the health and vibrancy of the gaming industry in 2025, with recognition spanning from AAA releases to indie debuts, mobile experiences to esports phenomena.
From Grand Theft Auto VI‘s anticipated arrival to grassroots organizations fostering gaming talent through Games for Impact and Games for Change categories, The Game Awards 2025 celebrated the full spectrum of gaming excellence and industry progress.
