Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is officially the star of this year’s Game Awards, leading the entire show with 12 nominations — more than any other title. The stylish, story-driven RPG has taken the industry by storm and is now competing for Game of the Year alongside some of gaming’s biggest franchises.

Joining it in the GOTY lineup are:

• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
• Donkey Kong Bananza
• Hades 2
• Hollow Knight: Silksong
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2

The ceremony, often called the “Oscars of gaming,” returns on December 11 in Los Angeles. Last year brought in a staggering 154 million livestream viewers, making it the world’s most-watched gaming event.

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🎮 What Exactly Are the Game Awards?

Hosted by Geoff Keighley, the show mixes award presentations with celebrity appearances, music performances, and — let’s be real — lots of world premiere trailers. Big reveals are a major reason fans tune in. Last year included first looks at The Witcher 4, Elden Ring: Nightreign, and Naughty Dog’s Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.

This year brings 29 award categories, stretching from Best Narrative to Best Esports Athlete.

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🎭 ‘Clair Obscur’ Leads With 12 Nominations

Developed by a small team of around 30 at Sandfall Interactive in Montpellier, France, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has earned widespread praise for its story, combat, and voice performances.

Three of its actors — Ben Starr, Charlie Cox, and Jennifer English — are all nominated for Best Performance, while the game is also up for Best Narrative, Best Independent Game, and Game of the Year.

Its inclusion in the indie category has sparked debate, though, since the project had global support studios and publisher Kepler Interactive backing it.

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🎬 Big Names, Big Competition

Sony has two heavy hitters each scoring eight nominations:

• Death Stranding 2, Hideo Kojima’s ambitious sequel starring Norman Reedus, is up for Game of the Year and Best Narrative.
• Ghost of Yōtei, a samurai-themed PS5 exclusive, matches DS2 with eight nods and includes a Best Performance nomination for Erika Ishii.

Surprisingly, none of Death Stranding 2’s star-studded cast — including Reedus — earned individual acting nominations.

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🐝 Indies Are Making Noise

Two of the most hyped indie sequels ever — Hades 2 and Hollow Knight: Silksong — are both up for GOTY. Silksong, infamously delayed and dubbed the “GTA 6 of indie games,” even crashed digital stores at launch.

Other notable talking points:

• Nintendo’s Donkey Kong Bananza is one of the Switch 2’s flagship titles and a GOTY finalist.
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 continues its gritty medieval storytelling with another nomination run.
• Surprise hit Blue Prince, one of the year’s best-reviewed games, was snubbed from GOTY but landed a Best Indie nod.

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💬 Industry Criticism & Awards Changes

The Game Awards has long faced backlash for prioritizing ads over winners, often rushing speeches or skipping live presentations. Last year’s show improved somewhat, but concerns remain — especially as the industry grapples with large-scale layoffs.

The biggest controversy this year? The removal of the Future Class, a program created to highlight rising talent. Former participants have called the move “tokenistic” and say it didn’t lead to real opportunities.

Organizers have not yet commented.

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🗳️ Voting Is Now Open

Fans can vote for Game of the Year and other categories until December 10. The show streams live on December 11 at 7:30 p.m. EST.

Below is the full list of 2025 Game Awards nominees as announced Monday:

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🏆 Game Awards 2025 — Full Nominee List

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

Best Art Direction

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
• Ghost of Yōtei
• Hades 2
• Hollow Knight: Silksong

Best Audio Design

• Battlefield 6
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
• Ghost of Yōtei
• Silent Hill f

Best Game Direction

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
• Ghost of Yōtei
• Hades 2
• Split Fiction

Best Multiplayer

• Arc Raiders
• Battlefield 6
• Elden Ring: Nightreign
• Peak
• Split Fiction

Best Narrative

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
• Ghost of Yōtei
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
• Silent Hill f

Best Performance

• Jennifer English — Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Ben Starr — Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Charlie Cox — Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Erika Ishii — Ghost of Yōtei
• Troy Baker — Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
• Konatsu Kato — Silent Hill f

Best Score & Music

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
• Ghost of Yōtei
• Hades 2
• Hollow Knight: Silksong

Best Action

• Battlefield 6
• Doom: The Dark Ages
• Hades 2
• Ninja Gaiden 4
• Shinobi: Art of Vengeance

Best Action/Adventure

• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
• Ghost of Yōtei
• Hollow Knight: Silksong
• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
• Split Fiction

Best Family Game

• Donkey Kong Bananza
• Lego Party
• Lego Voyagers
• Mario Kart World
• Sonic Racing Crossworlds
• Split Fiction

Best Fighting Game

• 2XKO
• Capcom Fighting Collection 2
• Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves
• Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection
• Virtua Fighter 5 REVO

Best Independent Game

• Absolum
• Ball X Pit
• Blue Prince
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Hades 2
• Hollow Knight: Silksong

Best Mobile Game

• Destiny Rising
• Persona 5: The Phantom X
• Sonic Rumble
• Umamusume: Pretty Derby
• Wuthering Waves

Best Ongoing Game

• Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail
• Fortnite
• Helldivers 2
• Marvel Rivals
• No Man’s Sky

Best RPG

• Avowed
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
• Monster Hunter Wilds
• The Outer Worlds 2

Best Sports/Racing Game

• EA Sports FC 26
• F1 25
• Mario Kart World
• Rematch
• Sonic Racing Crossworlds

Best Strategy/Sim

• Civilization 7
• Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles
• Jurassic World Evolution 3
• The Alters
• Tempest Rising
• Two Point Museum

Best VR/AR Game

• Alien: Rogue Incursion
• Arken Age
• Deadpool VR
• Ghost Town
• The Midnight Walk

Best Adaptation

• A Minecraft Movie
• Devil May Cry
• Splinter Cell Deathwatch
• The Last of Us Season 2
• Until Dawn

Community Support

• Baldur’s Gate 3
• Final Fantasy 14
• Fortnite
• Helldivers 2
• No Man’s Sky

Debut Indie Game

• Blue Prince
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Despelote
• Dispatch
• Megabonk

Games for Impact

• Consume Me
• Despelote
• Lost Records: Bloom and Rage
• South of Midnight
• Wanderstop

Best Esports Game

• Counter-Strike 2
• Dota 2
• League of Legends
• Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
• Valorant

Best Esports Athlete

• Brawk
• Chovy
• Forsaken
• Kakeru
• Menard
• Zywoo

Best Esports Team

• Gen.G (League of Legends)
• NRG (Valorant)
• Team Falcons (Dota 2)
• Team Liquid PH (MLBB)
• Team Vitality (CS2)

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