The Game Awards 2025 nominations are finally out, and this year’s lineup might be one of the most stacked we’ve seen in a long time. From ambitious indies to industry-defining blockbusters, the list captures just how diverse and experimental 2025 has been for gaming. Every major genre is represented, debates are already breaking out across social media, and fans are busy choosing their personal winners long before the show goes live.
With so many categories and such a wide range of contenders, this year’s awards feel less like a predictable checklist and more like a genuine showdown between wildly different creative visions. Below, you’ll find the full breakdown of nominees and depending on your tastes, you might be torn between several favorites.
Best Performance
- Ben Starr from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Charlie Cox from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Erika Ishii from Ghost of Yotei
- Jennifer English from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Konatsu Kato from Silent Hill F
- Troy Baker from 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 Yotei
- Hades 2
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
Best Score and Music
- Christopher Larkin (Hollow Knight: Silksong)
- Darren Korb (Hades 2)
- Lorien Testard (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33)
- Toma Otowa (Ghost of Yotei)
- Wookid & Ludwig Forssell (Death Stranding 2: On the Beach)
Best Audio Design
- Battlefield 6
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yotei
- Silent Hill F
Best Adaptation
- A Minecraft Movie
- Devil May Cry
- Splinter Cell: Deathwatch
- The Last of Us Season 2
- Until Dawn
Best Narrative
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yotei
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
- 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 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 2
- 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 6
- Marvel’s Wolverine
- Resident Evil Requiem
- The Witcher 4
Best Action/Adventure Game
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yotei
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
- Split Fiction
Best Role-Playing Game
- Avowed
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
- Monster Hunter Wilds
- The Outer Worlds 2
Best Fighting Game
- 2XKO
- Capcom Fighting Collection 2
- Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves
- Mortal Kombat Legacy Kollection
- Virtua Fighter 5 REVO World Stage
Best Action Game
- Battlefield 6
- DOOM: The Dark Ages
- Hades 2
- 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
- Civilization 7
- Tempest Rising
- Two Point Museum
Best Sports/Racing Game
- EA Sports FC 26
- EA Sports F1 25
- Mario Kart World
- Rematch
- Sonic Racing CrossWorlds
Best Game Direction
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yotei
- Hades 2
- Split Fiction
Game of the Year
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Donkey Kong Bananza
- Hades 2
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
That’s the complete slate of nominees for The Game Awards 2025: A lineup that reflects just how imaginative, competitive, and unpredictable this year has been. Whether you’re cheering for an indie underdog or a AAA giant, the conversation is already heating up.
Which games do you think deserve to walk away with the trophies this year? Tell us your winners in the comments, we’re watching.
Stay tuned to VGNW and follow us on X for full coverage of The Game Awards, live reactions, and every surprise announcement coming during the show.
When will The Game Awards 2025 take place?
The show airs on December 11, 2025, streaming globally across major platforms.
Where can I watch the event?
You can tune in via YouTube, Twitch, Steam, X, and for the first time, Amazon Prime Video.
