Sandfall Interactive’s game is undeniably outstanding, but hardly anyone expected it to rack up this many nominations!

 

The Game Awards has announced its 2025 nominees, selected by an international jury made up of more than 150 media outlets and creator channels. Topping this year’s list is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 with 12 nominations, followed by Death Stranding 2: On the Beach and Ghost of Yotei with eight nominations each, Hades II with six, Hollow Knight: Silksong with five and Split Fiction with four. Sony Interactive Entertainment is the most nominated publisher at The Game Awards 2025 with 19 nods, followed by Kepler Interactive with 13, and Electronic Arts and Microsoft with 10 apiece.

Players can now cast their votes in every category on the official website (https://www.thegameawards.com/nominees/) through verified online voting. Voting closes on December 11 at 3 a.m. CET. The Game Awards 2025 will be broadcast live the following day from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California, featuring award presentations, world-premiere announcements and trailers, plus musical performances by The Game Awards Orchestra conducted by Lorne Balfe, along with other surprises. Here is the full list of nominees (developers and publishers in parentheses):

 

Game of the Year

 

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall 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 (Sandfall 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 / Electronic Arts)

 

Best Narrative

 

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall 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 Digital Entertainment)

 

Best Art Direction

 

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall 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

 

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall 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 Audio Design

 

• Battlefield 6 (Battlefield Studios / Electronic Arts)

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall 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 Digital Entertainment)

 

Best Performance

 

• Benn Star (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 / Electronic Arts)

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

 

Games for Impact Award

 

• Consume Me (Jenny Jiao Hsia / AP Thomson / Hexacutable)

• Despelote (Julian Cordero / Sebastian Valbuena / Panic)

• Lost Records: Bloom & Rage (Don’t Nod Montreal / Don’t Nod)

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

• Wanderstop (Ivy Road / Annapurna Interactive)

 

Best Ongoing Game

 

• Final Fantasy XIV (Square Enix)

• Fortnite (Epic Games)

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

• Marvel Rivals (NetEase Games)

• No Man’s Sky (Hello Games)

 

Best Community Support

 

• Baldur’s Gate III (Larian Studios)

• Final Fantasy XIV (Square Enix)

• Fortnite (Epic Games)

• Helldivers II (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 (Sandfall 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 (Sandfall Interactive / Kepler Interactive)

• Despelote (Julian Cordero / Sebastian Valbuena / Panic)

• Dispatch (AdHoc Studio)

• Megabonk (Vedinad)

 

Best Mobile Game

 

• Destiny: Rising (NetEase Games)

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

• Sonic Rumble (SEGA)

• Umamusume: Pretty Derby (Cygames)

• Wuthering Waves (Kuro Games)

 

Best VR/AR Game

 

• Alien: Rogue Incursion (Survios)

• Arken Age (VitruviusVR)

• 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 / Electronic Arts)

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

• Hades II (Supergiant Games)

• Ninja Gaiden 4 (Team Ninja / 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 (MachineGames / Bethesda Softworks)

• Hollow Knight: Silksong (Team Cherry)

• Split Fiction (Hazelight / Electronic Arts)

 

Best Role-Playing Game

 

• Avowed (Obsidian Entertainment / Xbox Game Studios)

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

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

• Monster Hunter Wilds (Capcom)

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

 

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 (Ryu 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 / Electronic Arts)

 

Best Sim/Strategy Game

 

• The Alters (11 bit Studios)

• 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)

• Two Point Museum (Two Point Studios / SEGA)

 

Best Sports/Racing Game

 

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

• F1 25 (Codemasters / Electronic Arts)

• 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 / Electronic Arts)

• Elden Ring Nightreign (FromSoftware / Bandai Namco Entertainment)

• Peak (Aggro Crab / Landfall)

• Split Fiction (Hazelight / Electronic Arts)

 

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 (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)

 

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 Games)

• Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (Moonton)

• Valorant (Riot Games)

 

Best Esports Athlete

 

• Brawk – Brock Somerhalder (Valorant)

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

• F0rsakeN – Jason Susanto (Valorant)

• Kakeru – Kakeru Watanabe (Street Fighter)

• MenaRD – Saul Leonardo (Street Fighter)

• Zyw0o – Mathieu Herbaut (Counter-Strike 2)

 

Best Esports Team

 

• en.G (League of Legends)

• NRG (Valorant)

• Team Falcons (DOTA 2)

• Team Liquid PH (Mobile Legends: Bang Bang)

• Team Vitality (Counter-Strike 2)

Source: Gematsu, The Game Awards