That time of year is here again!
Just before the start of Tokyo Game Show, the "Japan Game Awards: 2025 Games of the Year Division Ceremony," which recognizes games from the past year, was held at Iino Hall in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, on Tuesday, September 23, 2025.
We look back at the day's events with all 87 photos!
Japan Game Awards: 2025 Games of the Year Division Ceremony Kicks Off!
Iino Hall is said to be where the entertainment career of MC Hikaru Ijuin (@HikaruIjuin), began.
From this historic venue, we look back at the past year in the constantly expanding game industry!
Comments from Shinji Takeuchi, Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (Summary)
Saiga NAKIn addition to moving and captivating people around the world, Japanese games also hold great social significance, as their technology is utilized in other industries.
The overseas market size of the content industry reached approximately ¥5.8 trillion in 2023, a figure that exceeds the export value of semiconductors.
The government has also made a cabinet decision to designate the content industry as a new core industry.
The game industry, which accounts for about 60% of this, is the core, and we believe that discovering and commending developers and outstanding works is extremely significant.
In a recent ministerial meeting, we formulated the direction that "large-scale, long-term, and strategic public-private investment, including multi-year support, is indispensable to achieve the public-private goal of ¥20 trillion in overseas market size for Japan-originated content by 2033."
We will fully accelerate efforts to foster an environment that encourages the creation of new killer content and strengthens international competitiveness.
Thank you very much for today.
(Translated from Japanese)
"Japan Game Awards: 2025" Results Announcement!
Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award: "Nintendo Switch 2"
Saiga NAKFirst, the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award.
The award was presented to the next-generation Nintendo console, "Nintendo Switch 2," which was released on Sunday, June 5, 2025, with further content expansion promised in 2026.
The "Nintendo Switch 2" is the first dedicated game console in eight years since the 2017 launch of the Nintendo Switch.
As the successor to the Nintendo Switch, which has been embraced by so many people, the development team put immense thought into how to deliver a new gaming experience to our customers.
In the end, I believe we created a product born from immense trial and error, challenges, ideas, and dedication.
Immediately after the announcement in April, we received a huge reaction from around the world, and there were times when we felt anxiety and tension, wondering if we could live up to everyone's expectations.
Now that it has been released, the "Nintendo Switch 2" has been embraced by customers around the world. We are relieved and deeply grateful that we have been able to release a new dedicated game console to the world.
We will continue to deliver new experiences on the "Nintendo Switch 2" that make our customers smile.
Thank you very much for this honor.
(Translated from Japanese)
Games of the Year Division Breakthrough Award: "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33"
Saiga NAK"Clair Obscur: Expedition 33" is a turn-based RPG set in a fantastical world modeled after late 19th-century France, where players form an expedition team to undertake a life-or-death mission.
It earned support through its own unique battle system, the Reactive Turn-Based RPG, which combines real-time actions like parrying and free-aiming with the traditional turn-based RPG.
Saiga NAKOn behalf of Sandfall Interactive, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for this prestigious award.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported our studio and this title since its launch.
This is truly a dream come true.
"Clair Obscur: Expedition 33" was created and inspired by a number of wonderful JRPGs.
That is why being recognized in Japan is extremely important to us, and it holds great personal significance for us.
We will continue to deliver amazing experiences to Japan and the rest of the world.
(Translated from Japanese)
Games of the Year Division Movement Award: "Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket"
Saiga NAKThe Movement Award was won by "Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket."
The app, which allows users to easily collect the beloved Pokémon Cards on their smartphones, has been a hot topic since its launch.
This title was created with the desire for people who don't usually play games to experience the fun of Pokémon Cards.
We believe this should not just be a passing trend.
Now, as we approach the 1st anniversary of the release in October 2025, the entire development team is working hard to re-examine the fun of collection and trading and deliver an even more enjoyable experience.
We hope you look forward to the future of "Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket."
Thank you.
(Translated from Japanese)
Games of the Year Division Award for Excellence: "Metaphor: ReFantazio"
Saiga NAK"Metaphor: ReFantazio," the new fantasy RPG from Atlus, by the creators of the Persona series.
This title, which the development team positioned as a new challenge, has received a prestigious award.
I'm truly happy to have been selected from over 3,000 titles.
Reading the comments from those who voted also warmed my heart.
I often work on series titles, so the hard work of tackling a new challenge has been rewarded.
Thank you very much.
(Translated from Japanese)
Games of the Year Division Award for Excellence: "Urban Myth Dissolution Center"
Saiga NAK"Urban Myth Dissolution Center," a mystery adventure that investigates and dissects urban legends.
The unique characters, their expressions, and the world drawn in pixel art are among its charms.
A prestigious award for Shueisha Games, a company that was only recently established!
I am truly overwhelmed with emotion to receive this prestigious award.
This title has been a project since Shueisha Games launched in 2022. The joy is even greater because it was developed while establishing the company's foundation.
I want to express my sincere gratitude to all the staff involved in "Urban Myth Dissolution Center."
(Translated from Japanese)
Hakaba Bunko is run by the four of us: myself, programmer MOCHIKIN, scenario/character designer Kikkyawa, and musician Ada-P. None of us had any previous experience working at a game development company.
Thank you for believing in this indie game from a team you had never heard of... (cries)
(Translated from Japanese)
Games of the Year Division Award for Excellence: "Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven"
Saiga NAK"Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven," a full remake of "Romancing SaGa 2," originally released by Square Enix in 1993.
It received high praise from both existing and new users for improving the classic game systems and adding new elements.
Since releasing the demo last year, we have received warm comments from our users.
Since the original SaGa series was a Japan-only release, honestly, at the time of the remake's release, we didn't quite know how much sales would grow worldwide.
However, thanks to everyone's feedback and reviews, I believe we were able to deliver it to more users.
Thank you very much to everyone who supported us.
(Translated from Japanese)
As a creator, the most important thing is for players to enjoy the game, so I used to think awards didn't matter... but now I see their value!
Receiving an award like this motivates our next work, so I want to keep working hard to deliver new things.
Thank you very much.
(Translated from Japanese)
Games of the Year Division Award for Excellence: "DRAGON QUEST III HD-2D Remake"
Saiga NAKA JRPG pinnacle from Square Enix.
The full remake of the original, released in 1988, won the Award for Excellence for the HD-2D version, which fuses pixel art and 3DCG.
"Dragon Quest III" is a 38-year-old title.
It has been reborn as a new HD-2D title through the hands of many staff, including Masaaki Hayasaka, who is here today. It has been played by so many people and has received an award like this.
There is nothing that makes me happier.
Since it was a social phenomenon at the time, I think expectations were high.
I want to thank everyone who remembered "Dragon Quest III" and has been a fan all this time.
Thank you so much!
(Translated from Japanese)
The entire development team worked hard on this remake to deliver the great original title as a modern game, especially to those who are new to "Dragon Quest III."
Just standing here with Mr. Horii is an honor for me as a fan who has played the Dragon Quest series. I owe this award to everyone who voted.
I took on this remake knowing that if I failed, I wouldn't be able to stay in this industry.
Having managed to achieve good sales, I feel like I've been allowed to stay in this industry.
Thank you very much.
(Translated from Japanese)
Games of the Year Division Award for Excellence: "Dynasty Warriors: ORIGINS"
Saiga NAK"Dynasty Warriors: ORIGINS," the latest series entry where a new protagonist takes center stage in the world of the Three Kingdoms.
The realistic and exhilarating battles against overwhelmingly large armies make it one of the best masterpieces in Koei Tecmo Games' Dynasty Warriors series.
The Dynasty Warriors series received the Award for Excellence at the then "CESA GAME AWARDS" from 2002 to 2005.
So, it feels like "we're back!" after a full 20 years.
This award is thanks to everyone who has supported the series so far and everyone who played this title. It is also a result of the efforts of all the staff involved, including the development members, and the family and friends who supported them.
I hope we can all share in this joy.
Thank you very much.
(Translated from Japanese)
Games of the Year Division Special Award: "PlayStation Store"
Saiga NAKSony Interactive Entertainment's "PlayStation Store," which opened in 2006, is essential for the digital sales of PlayStation titles and has grown into an indispensable platform, earning it the Special Award.
PlayStation has a mission to connect players and creators, and the "PlayStation Store" is a major business that is central to that mission.
Our annual transaction volume exceeds ¥2 trillion, with sales from Japanese game companies accounting for about 20% domestically and about 80% overseas. We believe we are greatly contributing to the export of games.
Players won't buy a console without games, so we hope to continue contributing to your business.
Thank you very much for today.
(Translated from Japanese)
Games of the Year Division Award for Excellence: "Tokyo Xtreme Racer"
Saiga NAK"Tokyo Xtreme Racer," a racing game where players aim to be the fastest on the Shuto Expressway (Metropolitan Expressway) in a futuristic, closed-off Tokyo.
The latest title in the Shutoko Battle series, developed by Genki and returning after about 18 years, helped spread its appeal to a wide range of generations through game streaming on video-sharing sites.
Saiga NAKIt feels like "we're back."
This IP had been dormant for about 18 years, and I never expected to receive such a prestigious award.
I truly feel that we are standing here today thanks to the support of our fans.
The full release version will be launching the day after tomorrow, and I feel a mix of nervouness, anxiety, and excitement.
Thank you very much.
(Translated from Japanese)
I was just test-playing the game a moment ago, so I haven't prepared anything... (laughs)
I never thought we would receive an award like this during Early Access.
This is all thanks to the support of those who played and wrote reviews, even during the Early Access phase.
Thank you very much.
(Translated from Japanese)
Saiga NAKThanks to the fans who have loved the series for a long time, as well as the VTubers who streamed the game, we were able to reach younger users.
Thank you very much.
(Translated from Japanese)
Games of the Year Division Award for Excellence: "Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii"
Saiga NAKThe protagonist is Goro Majima, a popular character from the Like a Dragon (Yakuza) series, of which Sega is proud.
The brand-new action-adventure, "Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii," which maintains exhilarating action and play spots packed with replayability, received the Award for Excellence.
This title has one of the most unconventional settings in the 20-year history of the Like a Dragon (Yakuza) series.
While the protagonist, Majima, becoming a pirate may seem like a ridiculous idea, we packed it with gameplay unique to pirates, as well as the signature gameplay of the Like a Dragon (Yakuza) series.
I believe the dedication of our veteran and young staff working earnestly under a very tight schedule led to us receiving this kind of award.
Thank you very much for this honor.
(Translated from Japanese)
Games of the Year Division Award for Excellence: "Monster Hunter Wilds"
Saiga NAK"Monster Hunter Wilds," the latest installment in Capcom's Monster Hunter series, has drawn attention from all over the world. Its appeal lies in system innovations that overturn the conventions of previous titles and graphics that fully leverage the specs of the latest hardware.
Thank you very much for this wonderful award.
"Monster Hunter Wilds" was released in February 2025, and we have also released several title updates.
We are planning another update at the end of September and will also be exhibiting at "Tokyo Game Show 2025."
We would be delighted if you continue to support "Monster Hunter Wilds."
Thank you.
(Translated from Japanese)
Reading the comments we received, I am truly happy to have received encouraging words from a wide range of generations, from people in their teens to their 70s, regardless of gender.
The Monster Hunter series is a title that has grown by overcoming challenges little by little over more than 20 years.
We will continue to work hard, and we appreciate your continued support.
(Translated from Japanese)
Thank you very much for today.
Reading the comments makes my heart full, as I am reminded once again that so many people have high expectations and are enjoying the game.
I am also grateful to everyone who provides us with a lot of opinions and feedback every day.
Starting tomorrow, I will take the reasons for your votes back to the team, and we will continue to work hard on updates so that everyone can enjoy the game even more. Thank you.
(Translated from Japanese)
Games of the Year Division Award for Excellence: "The Hundred Line -The Last Defense Academy-"
"The Hundred Line -The Last Defense Academy-," released by Aniplex, is an adventure of extremity and despair set in the Last Defense Academy, where the player must defend the academy from the mysterious enemy for 100 days to save humanity.
The overwhelming volume, with 100 different endings, is one of the reasons worthy of the award.
I feel a sense of guilt, wondering if a bizarre game like the ones we create should receive such a prestigious award. I'm anxious that if I look at the content one more time, it might seem unworthy of the award and get revoked, but since I have the trophy, I will hold onto it tightly and take it home.
"The Hundred Line -The Last Defense Academy-" was a game that we managed to release as an original IP from Tookyo Games, pushing the company to the brink of collapse while accumulating a large amount of debt.
Receiving an award for such a game gives us a lot of confidence, and I'm glad we went into debt.
Thank you very much.
(Translated from Japanese)
I am very happy and grateful to receive such an honorable award today.
This title is a pretty crazy game, featuring 100 endings, each telling a completely different story.
Consequently, development was grueling, and there were many challenging situations, but I want to thank everyone at Media.Vision (development lead) who accommodated our demands until the end, especially those of Kodaka, who is here with me.
I also want to express my sincere gratitude to everyone at Aniplex (sales lead) who used their adult negotiation skills to help us overcome those difficult situations, to everyone at Tookyo Games, and most of all, to the fans who have supported us throughout.
Thank you for today.
(Translated from Japanese)
Games of the Year Division Award for Excellence: "FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time"
Saiga NAK"FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time," the completely new title in Level-5's FANTASY LIFE series, has proudly received this award. It is an RPG about everyone's slow life, which was finally released after two delays, contrary to the high expectations at the time of its announcement.
This title was truly a difficult birth, or well... all our titles are difficult births.
But this one had a lot of specific feelings attached to it; after we announced the release date, we received feedback from testers and performed a major overhaul, which also resulted in changing the release date.
For the overhaul, we aimed to tune the game so that users could enjoy it, feel no stress, and play until they lost all track of time.
To all the users who voted for us, thank you very, very much.
(Translated from Japanese)
During production, as we neared completion, the game became more and more fun, and we felt a strong positive response.
Receiving this award today makes me happy, knowing that our passion has truly reached the users.
Thank you very much.
(Translated from Japanese)
Games of the Year Division Award for Excellence: "ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN"
Saiga NAK"ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN" is a co-op survival action game developed by FromSoftware, the pioneer of "die-and-retry" games, and is based on ELDEN RING.
It has been popular since its launch, and additional download content is scheduled for release later in 2025.
This title was a great adventure for us, being a spin-off and focusing on multiplayer.
During development, we were wondering how it would turn out, but as a result, we are able to stand here today with the support of so many people, and I am extremely grateful.
I would like to once again thank everyone who voted and the entire development team.
We are currently working hard on additional content, so we hope you will look forward to that as well.
Thank you very much for today.
(Translated from Japanese)
Masahiro Sakurai Takes the Stage to Announce the Game Designers Grand Award!
With the 11 titles that won the Award for Excellence revealed, it is now time to announce the Game Designers Grand Award before the Grand Award. The MC duties shift to the customary Masahiro Sakurai.
Ultimately, giving awards to games feels like an impossible task.
Since it's something that involves different values and people's individual preferences, I feel it's very presumptuous of me.
However, I worked hard because I believe the most important thing is that various people are happy to receive these awards.
To everyone, let's keep working hard—all of us creators, myself included, who are making games!
(Translated from Japanese)
The Game Designers Grand Award is judged and presented by eight game designers who continuously create innovative games, using originality in gaming as the primary evaluation criterion.
This year's selection process seemed to be a close race, with Sakurai revealing that "SCHiM"" and "SuperuTonaeru" were finalists for the award until the very end.
The title that surpassed them all to win was....
Games of the Year Division Game Designers Grand Award: "INDIKA"
Saiga NAK"INDIKA" is a third-person adventure game whose appeal lies in its imaginative, strangely realistic, and dark humor-filled story.
The protagonist, a young nun named Indika, hears the voice of the devil and sometimes experiences hallucinations.
For an overview of "INDIKA," please watch the approximately 7-minute video (Archive playback time around 1:33:27~) created by Sakurai to convey the game's appeal.
It is a great honor to receive the Game Designers Grand Award.
I am incredibly happy to receive this award in Japan, a country that has created many of my favorite game genres and is home to countless games I love.
I am very surprised that "INDIKA" has resonated with people from different countries and cultures.
This proves that everyone, regardless of birthplace or religion, harbors the same questions and faces the same struggles.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude once again.
This is a tremendous honor not only for me personally but for the entire Odd Meter team.
(Translated from Japanese)
The Japan Game Awards Finally Reach the Climax!
The 11 titles that won the Award for Excellence were chosen from 3,021 user-voted works.
The Grand Award will now be decided from these 11 titles.
Here, Haramichan (@harami_piano), a pianist and YouTuber, took the stage as a special guest.
The Grand Award was announced along with her piano performance.
Games of the Year Division Grand Award: "Metaphor: ReFantazio"
Saiga NAKThe Grand Award for the Japan Game Awards Games of the Year Division has been decided for "Metaphor: ReFantazio"! It won enthusiastic support from many users for features such as the following:
- A magnificent story and fantastical world view
- An innovative combat system that balances action and strategy
- Beautiful sound that colors the background and a user interface reminiscent of Western paintings
- Overwhelming play volume
Saiga NAKHashino and Soejima once again took the stage.
Kanata Hongo (@k_hongo_staff), the Official Supporter of Tokyo Game Show 2025, also took the stage and congratulated the Grand Award winner.
Saiga NAKHongo and the user representative presented a trophy and a bouquet to Hashino and Soejima.
Saiga NAKThey don't tell you about this beforehand, do they? (laughs)
I am genuinely and truly surprised.
I thought the piano performance sounded familiar, but then a Buddhist-ish chant started playing, and I thought, 'What is this...?' (laughs)
This truly encourages me for the future.
I want to thank everyone who voted, as well as the team staff and all related parties.
I hope to repay you all by creating even more interesting games in the future.
I'm happy. Thank you very much.
(Translated from Japanese)
Saiga NAKI feel truly happy and rewarded.
I want to share this joy with everyone who was involved in "Metaphor: ReFantazio," starting with the development staff.
I will use this as motivation for the future. Thank you.
(Translated from Japanese)
Hearing that a new JRPG was coming out from Atlus, I was very excited even before the release, and playing the game, I was truly impressed by the high quality.
The unpredictable story development, the unique characters that color the game, and the stylish UI were truly wonderful.
What left the biggest impression on me personally while playing was the line at the beginning of the story: "The first magic born into this world was music."
As seen in the performance just now, "Metaphor: ReFantazio" has a lot of truly wonderful music, and I believe that only Atlus could say, "Music is magic."
Through this game, I was able to realize once again how a magical, fantastical experience like a game can color our reality.
Congratulations on the award.
(Translated from Japanese)
Saiga NAKCongratulations on this occasion.
I, Kanata Hongo, just happened to appear in the TV commercial for "Metaphor: ReFantazio," and because of that connection, I was excited to play it all the way through.
The incredible story development, beautiful graphics, and wonderful music—it was a truly engrossing game experience.
Please continue to create many more interesting games for us game fans.
(Translated from Japanese)
The Japan Game Awards: 2025 Games of the Year Division Presentation and Awards Ceremony Concludes Successfully
- Grand Award: ATLUS Co., Ltd., "Metaphor: ReFantazio"
- Award for Excellence: Shueisha Games, Inc., "Toshi Densetsu Kaitai Center"
- Award for Excellence: Square Enix Co., Ltd., "Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven"
- Award for Excellence: Square Enix Co., Ltd., "DRAGON QUEST III HD-2D Remake"
- Award for Excellence: Koei Tecmo Games Co., Ltd., "Shin Sangokumusou ORIGINS"
- Award for Excellence: Genki Co., Ltd., "Shutoko Battle / Tokyo Xtreme Racer"
- Award for Excellence: SEGA Co., Ltd., "Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii"
- Award for Excellence: Capcom Co., Ltd., "Monster Hunter Wilds"
- Award for Excellence: Aniplex Inc., "The Hundred Line -The Last Defense Academy-"
- Award for Excellence: LEVEL-5 Inc., "FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time"
- Award for Excellence: FromSoftware, Inc., "ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN"
- Breakthrough Award: Kepler Interactive, "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33"
- Movement Award: The Pokémon Company, "Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket"
- Special Award: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc., "PlayStation Store"
- Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award: "Nintendo Switch 2"
- Game Designers Grand Award: "INDIKA"
These 16 titles received the awards once again. This past year, many games were released into the world and were loved by users.
In particular, Japanese domestic games began to focus not just on simple localization but also on full-scale overseas marketing, and this year may have been when those results emerged. Major hits were also born from individually developed indie games, and we saw expansions that went beyond the domain of games.
To all the developers, please continue to entertain us gamers with wonderful games next year!
And we at Saiga NAK would be delighted if we could help convey the appeal of those wonderful games to as many people as possible.
Saiga NAK
