Game Awards 2025: Full nomination list revealed, Clair Obscur dominates

The Game Awards has announced its Game of the Year nominees with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 leading with 12 nominations.

The “Oscars of Gaming” is an annual award ceremony hosted every year by creator and producer Geoff Keighley to honor the best games of the year. This year’s ceremony is scheduled for December 11, 2025.

One of the anticipated features of the Game Awards is that it offers viewers the first glimpses at unreleased games. Last year, gaming enthusiasts were able to get a sneak peak at The Witcher 4 and a few more.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has been nominated in 12 different categories, including Best Narrative Prize, Best Actors Performance and Best Independent Game as well. Benn Starr, Charlie Cox and Jennifer English star in the game.

It was developed by a core team of 30 people at developer Sandfall Interactive’s offices in Montpellier, France.

Sony’s Death Standing 2 has also been nominated for Game of the Year and Best Narrative award.

Other game of the year nominees include, Hollow Knight: Silksong and Hades 2.

The Game Awards has not been without controversies as it was previously accused of prioritising advertisement over awards. This year the removal of the “rising stars” category has raised concerns.

Following is the full list of nominations.

Game of the Year

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
• Donkey Kong Bananza
• Hades 2
• Hollow Knight: Silksong
• Kingdom Come Deliverance 2

Best Art Direction

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

Best Audio Design

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

Best Game Direction

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

Best Multiplayer

• Arc Raiders
• Battlefield 6
• Elden Ring: Nightreign
• Peak
• Split Fiction

Best Narrative

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

Best Performance

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - Jennifer English
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - Ben Starr
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - Charlie Cox
• Ghost of Yōtei - Erika Ishii
• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle - Troy Baker
• Silent Hill f - Konatsu Kato

Best Score & Music

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

Best Action

• Battlefield 6
• Doom: The Dark Ages
• Hades 2
• Ninja Gaiden 4
• Shinobi: Art of Vengeance

Best Action/Adventure Game

• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
• Ghost of Yōtei
• Hollow Knight: Silksong
• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
• Split Fiction

Best Family Game

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

Best Fighting Game

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

Best Independent Game

• Absolum
• Ball X Pit
• Blue Prince
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Hades 2
• Hollow Knight: Silksong

Best Mobile Game

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

Best Ongoing Game

• Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail
• Fortnite
• Helldivers 2
• Marvel Rivals
• No Man's Sky

Best RPG

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

Best Sports/Racing Game

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

Best Strategy/Sim Game

• Civilization 7
• Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles
• Jurassic World Evolution 3
• The Alters
• Tempest Rising
• Two Point Museum

Best VR/AR Game

• Alien: Rogue Incursion
• Arken Age
• Deadpool VR
• Ghost Town
• The Midnight Walk

Best Adaptation

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

Community Support

• Baldur's Gate 3
• Final Fantasy 14
• Fortnite
• Helldivers 2
• No Man's Sky

Debut Indie Game

• Blue Prince
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Despelote
• Dispatch
• Megabonk

Games for Impact

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

Best Esports Game

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

Best Esports Athlete

• Brawk
• Chovy
• Forsaken
• Kakeru
• Menard
• Zywoo

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)

Content Creator of the Year

• Caedrel
• Kai Cenat
• MoistCr1tikal
• Sakura Miko
• The Burnt Peanut

Most Anticipated Game

• 007 First Light
• Grand Theft Auto 6
• Marvel's Wolverine
• Resident Evil Requiem
• The Witcher 4

This year's awards will be streamed live on Thursday, December 11 at 4:30 p.m. PST and 7:30 p.m. EST