The Game Awards 2025 nominees are here, and it looks like another massive year for Geoff Keighley’s annual showcase. The full list was revealed during a livestream on 17 November, confirming the six Game of the Year contenders along with every category from Best RPG to Best Esports Team.
Your nominees for GAME OF THE YEAR at #TheGameAwards 2025 on Thursday, December 11. pic.twitter.com/VQTXMfNHOQ
— The Game Awards (@thegameawards) November 17, 2025
If you skipped the announcement stream, don’t worry. We’ve wrapped all the key highlights in one place.
A Big Night Locked In For December
The Game Awards 2025 will stream live on 11 December, promising the usual blend of world-premiere trailers, celebrity appearances, live performances, and of course, actual awards sprinkled throughout the show.
As expected, this year’s nominees were selected by a global panel of journalists, critics, and industry veterans. GOTY nominations were leaked early, but the full list is now official.
Game of the Year 2025 Nominees
The big headline of the night is the GOTY lineup, which leans heavily into strong indie showings alongside blockbuster sequels.
The six GOTY nominees are:
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Donkey Kong Bananza
- Hades II
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 leads the entire show with 12 nominations, making it the most nominated game in The Game Awards history. Hades II and Silksong both earned major recognition, continuing the trend of indie titles punching well above their weight.
Fans can cast their vote for Game of the Year until 10 December.
Top Games With The Most Nominations
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – 12 Nominations
Image Credit: Kepler Interactive
The biggest standout this year, sweeping categories including Best Game Direction, Best Narrative, Best Art Direction, Best Score, and even Best Independent Game.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach – 7 Nominations
Image Credit: Kojima Productions
Hideo Kojima’s highly anticipated sequel appears across multiple major categories, including Game of the Year, Best Game Direction, and Best Narrative.
Ghost of Yōtei – 7 Nominations
Image Credit: Sony
A visual and atmospheric hit, nominated for Best Art Direction, Best Narrative, and Best Audio Design.
Hades II – 6 Nominations
Image Credit: Supergiant Games
Supergiant Games continues its legacy with the sequel landing nods in GOTY, Best Direction, Best Score, Best Action Game, and more.
Hollow Knight: Silksong – 5 Nominations
Image Credit: Team Cherry
Team Cherry’s long-awaited release earns recognition across art, score, and action adventure categories.
Split Fiction – 4 Nominations
Image Credit: Hazelight Studios
A rising favourite in action adventure and multiplayer categories.
Other Major Categories To Watch
The Game Awards 2025 features dozens of categories. Here are some of the notable highlights:
Best Game Direction
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Hades II
- Split Fiction
Best Narrative
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
- Silent Hill f
Best Art Direction
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Hades II
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
Best Independent Game
- Absolum
- Ball x Pit
- Blue Prince
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Hades II
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
Indies continue to thrive, with Expedition 33 and Silksong competing against major studio titles in multiple categories.
Mobile, VR, and Family Categories
Mobile gaming gets its own spotlight with nominees like Destiny: Rising, Persona 5: The Phantom X, and Wuthering Waves. VR and AR also return with titles such as Alien: Rogue Incursion and Marvel’s Deadpool VR.
The Best Family Game category features heavy hitters including Donkey Kong Bananza, LEGO Party, Mario Kart World, and Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds.
Esports Categories
Esports remains a huge part of the show, with categories covering athletes, teams, and the best competitive titles of the year.
Best Esports Game nominees:
- Counter-Strike 2
- Dota 2
- League of Legends
- Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
- Valorant
Best Esports Athlete:
- brawk
- Chovy
- f0rsakeN
- Kakeru
- MenaRD
- Zyw0
Best Esports Team:
- Gen.G
- NRG
- Team Falcons
- Team Liquid PH
- Team Vitalit
What’s Next For The Game Awards 2025
With the nominees locked in, voting begins, discussions heat up, and fans start building their own predictions ahead of the December show. The Players’ Voice category will be revealed closer to the event, and if the Game Changer award returns this year, it will be announced during the ceremony.
The Game Awards 2025 is shaping up to be one of the most competitive years yet, especially with indies standing toe to toe with major AAA releases.
We’ll keep you updated with any new announcements, reveals, and surprises as the countdown continues.