Games. Excitement is rising across the gaming world: The Game Awards 2025 nominees have been announced.
The annual ceremony recognizes the year’s best games, creators, and competitive players — and often highlights the next big announcements in gaming. Here’s the full list of categories and nominees, plus what matters most heading into the December awards.
Event details
- Date: December 11, 2025
- Venue: Peacock Theatre, Los Angeles, California
- How winners are chosen: A combination of industry jury votes and fan voting (fan voting typically closes the day before the ceremony).
Why this year matters
2025 has produced several standout releases that compete across multiple categories. Titles such as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Death Stranding 2: On the Beach appear repeatedly on the ballot, indicating strong critical and industry recognition.
Full list of nominees
Below are the official nominees for The Game Awards 2025, organized by category.
Best Performance
- Ben Starr — Verso, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Charlie Cox — Gustav, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Erika Ishii — Atsu, Ghost of Yōtei
- Jennifer English — Maelle, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Konatsu Kato — Hinako, Silent Hill f
- Troy Baker — Indiana Jones, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Best Ongoing Game
- Final Fantasy XIV
- Fortnite
- Helldivers 2
- Marvel Rivals
- No Man’s Sky
Best Mobile Game
- Destiny: Rising
- Persona 5: The Phantom X
- Sonic Rumble
- Umamusume: Pretty Derby
- Wuthering Waves
Best Art Direction
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Hades II
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
Best Score and Music
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Hades II
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Best Audio Design
- Battlefield 6
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Silent Hill f
Best Adaptation
- A Minecraft Movie
- Devil May Cry
- The Last of Us: Season 2
- Splinter Cell: Deathwatch
- Until Dawn
Best Narrative
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
- Silent Hill f
Best Community Support
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Final Fantasy XIV
- Fortnite
- Helldivers 2
- No Man’s Sky
Games for Impact
- Consume Me
- Despelote
- Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
- South of Midnight
- Wanderstop
Best Fighting Game
- 2XKO
- Capcom Fighting Collection 2
- Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves
- Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection
- Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage
Best Action Game
- Battlefield 6
- Doom: The Dark Ages
- Hades II
- Ninja Gaiden 4
- Shinobi: Art of Vengeance
Innovation in Accessibility
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows
- Atomfall
- Doom: The Dark Ages
- EA Sports FC 26
- South of Midnight
Best Family Game
- Donkey Kong Bananza
- LEGO Party!
- LEGO Voyagers
- Mario Kart World
- Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
- Split Fiction
Best Sim / Strategy Game
- The Alters
- Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles
- Jurassic World Evolution 3
- Sid Meier’s Civilization VII
- Tempest Rising
- Two Point Museum
Best Sports / Racing Game
- EA Sports FC 26
- F1 25
- Mario Kart World
- Rematch
- Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
Best Esports Game
- Counter-Strike 2
- DOTA 2
- League of Legends
- Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
- Valorant
Best Esports Athlete
- Brawk
- Chovy
- f0rsakeN
- Kakeru
- MenaRD
- Zyw0o
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
Best Game Direction
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Hades II
- Split Fiction
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 Multiplayer
- Arc Raiders
- Battlefield 6
- Elden Ring: Nightreign
- Peak
- Split Fiction
Best Independent Game
- Absolum
- Ball x Pit
- Blue Prince
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Hades II
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
Best Debut Indie Game
- Blue Prince
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Despelote
- Dispatch
- Megabonk
Best VR / AR Game
- Alien: Rogue Incursion
- Arken Age
- Ghost Town
- Marvel’s Deadpool VR
- The Midnight Walk
Content Creator of the Year
- Caedrel
- Kai Cenat
- MoistCr1TiKaL
- Sakura Miko
- The Burnt Peanut
Most Anticipated Game
- 007 First Light
- Grand Theft Auto VI
- Marvel’s Wolverine
- Resident Evil Requiem
- The Witcher IV
Best Action-Adventure Game
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Split Fiction
Best RPG
- Avowed
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
- The Outer Worlds II
- Monster Hunter Wilds
Closing / What to watch
Expect tight races in categories where the same titles reappear across performance, direction, and audio. Fan voting will influence several categories — include a link to the official Game Awards voting page when it opens and encourage readers to cast votes for their favorites.
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