By Jon Scarr
The Game Awards 2025 returns on December 11, bringing big reveals, celebrity appearances, musical performances, and a stacked list of nominees. Hosted once again by Geoff Keighley, this year’s show highlights some of the biggest releases of 2025 while setting the stage for next year’s heavy hitters. It is one of those nights where trailers share the spotlight with trophies, and sometimes the surprises steal the whole show. If you missed our earlier breakdown on how this year’s show is streaming on Prime Video, you can check that out here.
The full nomination list is locked in, and it is a strong field. Clair Obscur Expedition 33 leads with 12 nominations, making it the most nominated game in the event’s history. Death Stranding 2 On the Beach and Ghost of Yotei follow closely, with Hades II, Hollow Knight Silksong, and Donkey Kong Bananza rounding out the Game of the Year race. As someone who tunes in every year, it is fun to see how unpredictable the final results can be, especially when community favourites stack up against industry picks. We also included our own 4ScarrsGaming ballot picks for each category so you can compare them with the eventual winners.
This guide includes every category and nominee so you can browse the lineup in one place. We will update this same article during and after the show with the winners, major announcements, and any shake ups as they happen. Whether you are watching live or catching up after, check back on December 11 for the confirmed results and reactions.
The Game Awards 2025 Nominees
Game of the Year
Winner: TBA
4ScarrsGaming vote: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Donkey Kong Bananza
- Hades II
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
Best Game Direction
Winner: TBA
4ScarrsGaming vote: Hades II
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Hades II
- Split Fiction
Best Adaptation
Winner: TBA
4ScarrsGaming vote: The Last of Us: Season 2
- A Minecraft Movie
- Devil May Cry
- The Last of Us: Season 2
- Splinter Cell: Deathwatch
- Until Dawn
Best Narrative
Winner: TBA
4ScarrsGaming vote: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
- Silent Hill f
Best Art Direction
Winner: TBA
4ScarrsGaming vote: Hades II
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Hades II
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
Best Score and Music
Winner: TBA
4ScarrsGaming vote: Lorien Testard (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33)
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Hades II
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Best Audio Design
Winner: TBA
4ScarrsGaming vote: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Battlefield 6
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Silent Hill f
Best Performance
Winner: TBA
4ScarrsGaming vote: Jennifer English
- Ben Starr
- Charlie Cox
- Erika Ishii
- Jennifer English
- Konatsu Kato
- Troy Baker
Innovation in Accessibility
Winner: TBA
4ScarrsGaming vote: South of Midnight
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows
- Atomfall
- Doom: The Dark Ages
- EA Sports FC 26
- South of Midnight
Games for Impact
Winner: TBA
4ScarrsGaming vote: Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
- Consume Me
- Despelote
- Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
- South of Midnight
- Wanderstop
Best Ongoing Game
Winner: TBA
4ScarrsGaming vote: Fortnite
- Final Fantasy XIV
- Fortnite
- Helldivers 2
- Marvel Rivals
- No Man's Sky
Best Community Support
Winner: TBA
4ScarrsGaming vote: Fortnite
- Baldur's Gate 3
- Final Fantasy XIV
- Fortnite
- Helldivers 2
- No Man's Sky
Best Independent Game
Winner: TBA
4ScarrsGaming vote: Hades II
- Absolum
- Ball x Pit
- Blue Prince
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Hades II
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
Best Debut Indie Game
Winner: TBA
4ScarrsGaming vote: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Blue Prince
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Despelote
- Dispatch
- Megabonk
Best Mobile Game
Winner: TBA
4ScarrsGaming vote: Sonic Rumble
- Destiny: Rising
- Persona 5: The Phantom X
- Sonic Rumble
- Umamusume: Pretty Derby
- Wuthering Waves
Best VR/AR Game
Winner: TBA
4ScarrsGaming vote: The Midnight Walk
- Alien: Rogue Incursion
- Arken Age
- Ghost Town
- Marvel’s Deadpool VR
- The Midnight Walk
Best Action Game
Winner: TBA
4ScarrsGaming vote: Hades II
- Battlefield 6
- Doom: The Dark Ages
- Hades II
- Ninja Gaiden 4
- Shinobi: Art of Vengeance
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| Our Game Awards 2025 votes. Share yours in the comments so we can compare when the show airs. |
Best Action Adventure Game
Winner: TBA
4ScarrsGaming vote: Ghost of Yōtei
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Split Fiction
Best RPG
Winner: TBA
4ScarrsGaming vote: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Avowed
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
- The Outer Worlds 2
- Monster Hunter Wilds
Best Fighting Game
Winner: TBA
4ScarrsGaming vote: Capcom Fighting Collection 2
- 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 Family Game
Winner: TBA
4ScarrsGaming vote: Mario Kart World
- Donkey Kong Bananza
- LEGO Party!
- LEGO Voyagers
- Mario Kart World
- Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
- Split Fiction
Best Sim/Strategy Game
Winner: TBA
4ScarrsGaming vote: Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles
- 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
Winner: TBA
4ScarrsGaming vote: Mario Kart World
- EA Sports FC 26
- F1 25
- Mario Kart World
- Rematch
- Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
Best Multiplayer
Winner: TBA
4ScarrsGaming vote: Battlefield 6
- Arc Raiders
- Battlefield 6
- Elden Ring Nightreign
- Peak
- Split Fiction
Most Anticipated Game
Winner: TBA
4ScarrsGaming vote: Grand Theft Auto VI
- 007 First Light
- Grand Theft Auto VI
- Marvel's Wolverine
- Resident Evil Requiem
- The Witcher IV
Content Creator of the Year
Winner: TBA
4ScarrsGaming vote: The Burnt Peanut
- Caedrel
- Kai Cenat
- MoistCr1TiKaL
- Sakura Miko
- The Burnt Peanut
Best Esports Game
Winner: TBA
4ScarrsGaming vote: Dota 2
- Counter-Strike 2
- Dota 2
- League of Legends
- Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
- Valorant
Best Esports Athlete
Winner: TBA
4ScarrsGaming vote: Menard – Saul Leonardo
- brawk
- Chovy
- f0rsakeN
- Kakeru
- MenaRD
- Zyw0o
Best Esports Team
Winner: TBA
4ScarrsGaming vote: NRG
- Gen.G - League of Legends
- NRG - Valorant
- Team Falcons - DOTA 2
- Team Liquid PH - Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
- Team Vitality - Counter-Strike 2
Players' Voice
Players’ Voice is still in progress at the time of writing. Round 1 narrowed thirty nominees down to ten, and Round 2 closed on December 6. Round 3 opens today, December 8, reducing the field to five finalists before the award is handed out live. We will update this section with the final five nominees and winner once confirmed.
Winner: TBA
4ScarrsGaming vote: TBA