The Game Awards, which recognizes the year's best works, creators, and athletes in the game industry, announced the nominations for the ceremony's 29 categories on Tuesday, November 18, 2025. The ceremony is scheduled to be live-streamed from Los Angeles on Thursday, December 11, 2025, local time.
Which Title Will Receive the Highest Honor at "The Game Awards 2025"?
"The Game Awards," which celebrates the works and creators that excited game fans throughout the year, announced the nominees for each category on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, on the "The Game Awards" Official YouTube channel.
Fans can also vote on the "The Game Awards" Official Website. Which title will receive this prestigious honor to close out 2025? Be sure to support your favorite game by casting your vote!
Nomination List
Many trending titles that energized 2025 have been nominated. The nominees for each of the 29 categories are as follows:
GAME OF THE YEAR
Recognizing the game that delivered the best experience to players across all creative and technical fields that year.
- 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
Recognizing creative design and innovation in the overall structure and systems of the game.
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH
- Ghost of Yōtei
- HADES II
- Split Fiction
BEST NARRATIVE
Recognizing outstanding storytelling and narrative development.
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
- SILENT HILL f
BEST ART DIRECTION
Recognizing outstanding creative and technical achievement in artistic design and animation.
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH
- Ghost of Yōtei
- HADES II
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
BEST SCORE AND MUSIC
Recognizing outstanding music, including original songs, composition, and licensed music.
- Christopher Larkin (Hollow Knight: Silksong)
- Darren Korb (HADES II)
- Lorien Testard (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33)
- Toma Otowa (Ghost of Yōtei)
- Woodkid ＆ Ludvig Forssell (DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH)
BEST AUDIO DESIGN
Recognizing outstanding sound design and sonic presentation.
- Battlefield 6
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH
- Ghost of Yōtei
- SILENT HILL f
BEST PERFORMANCE
Recognizing an individual's outstanding performance in bringing a character to life, through voice acting, motion capture, and acting.
- Ben Starr (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33)
- Charlie Cox (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33)
- Erika Ishii (Ghost of Yōtei)
- Jennifer English (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33)
- Konatsu Kato (SILENT HILL f)
- Troy Baker (Indiana Jones and the Great Circle)
INNOVATION IN ACCESSIBILITY
Recognizing innovations in features, technology, and content that make games more playable for gamers with disabilities.
- Assassin's Creed Shadows
- Atomfall
- DOOM: The Dark Ages
- EA SPORTS FC 26
- South of Midnight
GAMES FOR IMPACT
Recognizing outstanding games that have social significance or a message and encourage deep thought in players.
- Consume Me
- Despelote
- Last Record Bloom & Rage
- South of Midnight
- Wanderstop
BEST ONGOING
Recognizing a game that continues to evolve the player experience over time through continuous content development.
- Final Fantasy XIV
- Fortnite
- HELLDIVERS 2
- Marvel Rivals
- No Man's Sky
BEST COMMUNITY SUPPORT
Recognizing a track record of excellent community support through transparent communication, social media activity, and other means.
- Baldur's Gate 3
- Final Fantasy XIV
- Fortnite
- HELLDIVERS 2
- No Man's Sky
BEST INDEPENDENT GAME
Recognizing creative and technical achievement in games made outside the traditional publisher system.
- Absolum
- BALL x PIT
- Blue Prince
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- HADES II
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
BEST DEBUT INDIE GAME
Recognizing an outstanding debut work released by a newly established independent studio.
- Blue Prince
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Despelote
- Dispatch
BEST MOBILE GAME
Recognizing the best game playable on a mobile device.
- Destiny: Rising
- Persona 5: The Phantom X
- Sonic Rumble
- Umamusume: Pretty Derby
- Wuthering Waves
BEST VR / AR
Recognizing titles that offered the best gaming experience in virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR), regardless of platform.
- Alien: Rogue Incursion
- Arken Age
- Ghost Town
- Marvel's Deadpool VR
- The Midnight Walk
BEST ACTION GAME
Recognizing the best action game primarily focused on combat.
- Battlefield 6
- DOOM: The Dark Ages
- HADES II
- NINJA GAIDEN 4
- SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance
BEST ACTION / ADVENTURE
Recognizing the best action-adventure game that combines elements such as movement and puzzle-solving in addition to combat.
- DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
- Split Fiction
BEST RPG
Recognizing the best role-playing game with rich character customization and progression elements.
- Avowed
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
- Monster Hunter Wilds
- The Outer Worlds 2
BEST FIGHTING
Recognizing the best fighting game centered primarily on competitive combat.
- 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
Recognizing the best games of all genres suitable for family-friendly gameplay.
- Donkey Kong Bananza
- LEGO Party!
- LEGO Voyagers
- Mario Kart World
- Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
- Split Fiction
BEST SIM / STRATEGY
Recognizing the best simulation or strategy game, either real-time or turn-based.
- FINAL FANTASY TACTICS - The Ivalice Chronicles
- Jurassic World Evolution 3
- Sid Meier's Civilization VII
- Tempest Rising
- The Alters
- Two Point Museum
BEST SPORTS / RACING
Recognizing the best sports or racing game.
- EA SPORTS FC 26
- EA SPORTS F1 25
- Mario Kart World
- Rematch
- Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
BEST MULTIPLAYER
Recognizing excellent online multiplayer gameplay and design, including co-operative or competitive play, regardless of genre.
- ARC Riders
- Battlefield 6
- ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN
- PEAK
- Split Fiction
BEST ADAPTATION
Recognizing outstanding visual or creative works, such as movies, TV series, or comics, based on a video game.
- A Minecraft Movie
- Devil May Cry
- Splinter Cell: Deathwatch
- THE LAST OF US Season 2
- UNTIL DAWN
MOST ANTICIPATED GAME
Recognizing the game with the highest potential, for which a future release has been announced.
- 007 First Light
- Grand Theft Auto VI
- Marvel's Wolverine
- Resident Evil Requiem
- The Witcher 4
CONTENT CREATOR OF THE YEAR
Recognizing a streamer or content creator who has made a positive and lasting impact on the community.
- Caedrel
- Kai Cenat
- Cr1TiKaL
- Sakura Miko
- The Burnt Peanut
BEST ESPORTS GAME
Recognizing the game that provided the best esports experience, regardless of genre, with a professional competitive scene and tournament structure.
- Counter-Strike 2
- DOTA 2
- League of Legends
- Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
- VALORANT
BEST ESPORTS ATHLETE
Recognizing the most outstanding esports player in terms of performance and achievements.
- brawk
- Chovy
- f0rsakeN
- Kakeru
- MenaRD
- ZywOo
BEST ESPORTS TEAM
Recognizing the esports team that demonstrated the most outstanding results and teamwork.
- GEN.G ("League of Legends")
- NRG (VALORANT)
- Team Falcons (DOTA 2)
- Team Liquid PH ("Mobile Legends: Bang Bang")
- Team Vitality (Counter-Strike 2)
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
