26m agoFri 12 Dec 2025 at 4:44am

Thank you and goodbye!

Love to see the ABC covering things like the Game Awards! And well done team on keeping with with a show that is somehow both happening at 100kph and is 14hrs long. loved the blog

– Appreciative Millenial

Aww shucks, you’ll make us blush!

We have had such an amazing time on the Live Blog with you today. Laughs were had, Muppets were spotted, we all have new games on our wishlists – what more could you want!

On behalf of Brianna, Gianfranco and myself thank you for joining us and we’ll see you back here this time next year for The Game Awards 2026!

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26m agoFri 12 Dec 2025 at 4:44am

Do puzzle games need their own category?

By Gianfranco Di Giovanni

Feeling a bit bummed Blue Prince missed out on their chance for an award – time for a new Best Puzzle category?

– Feeling blue…

The Game Awards are the biggest, but they are just one set of awards, but there seems to never be the right sort of categories to recognise all the games.

I have a feeling Blue Prince might do really well at the BAFTAs or the DICE Awards which are coming up, but there has been calls for a puzzle category for a while as Feeling Blue suggests.

30m agoFri 12 Dec 2025 at 4:40am

Clair Obscur breaks record

The tallies are in: Clair Obscur is the most awarded game in a single year at The Game Awards, taking home a whopping nine awards today, including:

Game of the YearBest RPGBest NarrativeBest Art DirectionBest Score & MusicBest Game DirectionBest Debut Indie GameBest Independent GameBest Performance (Jennifer English)

They take the record from The Last Of Us II which took home seven awards in 2020.

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37m agoFri 12 Dec 2025 at 4:33am

‘Nothing has captured me more than Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’

By Gianfranco Di Giovanni

Chloe Appleby is program curator for games at Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum and I asked Chloe earlier this week about why Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was such a cultural hit. Here is a bit of what she had to say

From the first scene with the character of Gustave looking out towards the devastated world of Lumiere, you become immediately entranced.

The combat is in this game is a standout. I was initially intimidated by the turn-based, JRPG inspired combat, but this soon became one of my favourite aspects where I began to plan critically in battles to best optimise move sets, buffs and character sequencing.

The world, its history, and main story by Guillaume Broche and Jennifer Svedberg-Yen is what sets this game apart as my pick for Game of the Year. The story is a sombre reminder of the effects of violence and war with brief moments of respite through comedic characters, meaningful moments, and fun discoveries. It was a joy to discover the mime battles to unlock the iconic French inspired costumes including a beret, sunglasses, striped shirt, and baguette. It makes me quite intimidating in battles. 

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has solidified itself as a classic RPG in games history, nothing has captured me more than Sandfall Interactive’s debut title,  I highly recommend everyone to play it.  

(Sandfall Interactive)

44m agoFri 12 Dec 2025 at 4:25am

The internet has lots of big feelings…

48m agoFri 12 Dec 2025 at 4:22am

Not this year, maybe never

By Gianfranco Di Giovanni

Is Half Life 3 getting announced?

– Gordon Freeman is the GMan

I mean Jenson had dreams fulfilled with Ace Combat 8, so never say never but I’m not holding my breath.

53m agoFri 12 Dec 2025 at 4:17am

Silksong won just one award tonight

By Gianfranco Di Giovanni

I’m glad the locals Team Cherry were able to pick up a prize for Best Action/Adventure! It’s been a blockbuster Australian-made game, easily one of the most successful in our history. If you’re keen to learn a bit more about how this game came together, check out this story from earlier this year.

It’s a shame they couldn’t pick up a few more prizes today, but Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a juggernaut, and challenging platformers like Hollow Knight: Silksong aren’t for everyone.

55m agoFri 12 Dec 2025 at 4:15am

A moment for the Game Awards orchestra (and Flute Guy)!

Big congrats to the Clair Obscur team but can we have another moment to appreciate that nominees announcement!!

Instead of reading names off a card, the GOTY nominees were announced via a full orchestra overture of their themes and it was INCREDIBLE.

Special shout out to Pedro Eustache, the amazing flautist that played a number of woodwind instruments – pretty sure there was a piece of PVC pipe in there at one point.

All other award ceremonies take note: this is how you do musical performances!

Let’s hear it again!

1h agoFri 12 Dec 2025 at 4:09am

Are smaller independent teams the future of game development?

By Gianfranco Di Giovanni

With all the awards tonight, Sandfall Interactive has shown that AA game can stand head and shoulders above the “AAA” market. A game with a well written story, clear art direction, solid game play can deliver a better even the biggest budgets can offer. I’m hoping this starts a trend for smaller, more emotional, experimental games from other developers. Bring on the strange, wonderful and the weird. We need more games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

– Patrick

There have been lots of studios shutting down over the past few years, as major publishers cut costs. Both Larian Studios who won two years ago for Baldur’s Gate 3 and Sandfall Interactive, our Game of the Year winner this year, are independent smaller teams.

Patrick in the comments reckons the time for AA games in the sun is now, and it’s hard to argue with the amount of wins they’ve picked up tonight.

1h agoFri 12 Dec 2025 at 4:04amClair Obscur: Expedition 33 Wins Game of the Year

By Gianfranco Di Giovanni

A massive night. A great game congratulations to Sandfall Interactive! The whole team is in the audience for this win.

“This was suppose to be a joke,” co-creator Guillaume Broche said upon accepting Game of the Year, referring to his very French get up.

“Shout out to the unsung heroes, the people who make tutorials online about how to make a game because we had no idea, thank you!”

“Finally a massive thanks to the fans for your playthroughs, for your fan art, and for your arguments over which ending is better.

“You changed our lives.”

Very funny, what a nice team.

Holding up the big trophy! (The Game Awards)Everyone from Sandfall Interactive in costume (The Game Awards)

1h agoFri 12 Dec 2025 at 4:02am

Game of the YearClair Obscur: Expedition 33 – WINNERDeath Stranding 2: On The BeachDonkey Kong BananzaHades IIHollow Knight: SilksongKingdom Come: Deliverance II 

1h agoFri 12 Dec 2025 at 3:56am

Team Kingdom Come saying what we’re thinking

Yeah, we wouldn’t want to be a Game of the Year nominee against Clair Obscur right now.

1h agoFri 12 Dec 2025 at 3:52am

Mega Man: Dual Override is a new classic platformer

By Gianfranco Di Giovanni

It’s a return to the original style of the game for the long running Capcom series.

One for the vintage players out there!

Can you feel the nostalgia already? (The Game Awards)

1h agoFri 12 Dec 2025 at 3:51am

Shout out the keytar player

Yes, the Mega Man game looks sick but that legend was having a ball up there.

1h agoFri 12 Dec 2025 at 3:47am

Phantom Blade Ø is an action samurai game coming out next year

By Gianfranco Di Giovanni

There is a water pistol in this game, the most powerful of all weapons. Sure there are also katanas and so on but what else can compete with this?

Looks like one for fans of games like Sekiro and it’s out in September 2026.

A samurai sprays water at an enemyBlast that spooky monster with a water pistol (The Game Awards)

1h agoFri 12 Dec 2025 at 3:46am

Best Game DirectionClair Obscur: Expedition 33 – WINNERDeath Stranding 2: On The BeachGhost of YōteiHades IISplit Fiction

That’s EIGHT awards for the Clair Obscur team.

1h agoFri 12 Dec 2025 at 3:44am

Rowlf the Dog: Voice of the People?

I take back my previous comment, Rowlf The Dog is officially my new Game Awards spokesperson – he knows what the people are really thinking

– Cat

This is actually SO correct, Cat.

For those of you who DON’T know, Rowlf is actually the first muppet to ever appear on network television.

He first popped up as a dog food spokesperson in the 1960s before landing a weekly gig on several talk shows.

So if we do need to replace Geoff next year, he’s a good pick in my book.

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1h agoFri 12 Dec 2025 at 3:40am

What are your highlights?

By Gianfranco Di Giovanni

Highlights so far – that E33 live performance to open the show and whatever that Divinity trailer was!!

– Damo

We’re just about at the end of the show, can you believe it? Drop your comments here we love to see them like Damo who loved the live performance of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and that trailer for Divinity which was a lot.

1h agoFri 12 Dec 2025 at 3:35amMiss Piggy AND Rowlf?? Performing a full song?

Everyone be sooooooo serious right now because we have not just Miss Piggy, but Rowlf on stage right now.

Alas, no grand piano. “Wouldn’t fit in the hatchback,” says Rowlf.

Miss Piggy and Rowlf Miss Piggy and Rowlf  look at each other

I know I was crowing over Evanescence a minute ago, but I fear this is THE performance of the night.

I never thought I would hear a muppet say Minecraft or Fortnite in my lifetime.

1h agoFri 12 Dec 2025 at 3:33am

Ace Combat 8 has Jenson excited

By Gianfranco Di Giovanni

ACE CLMBAT 8 ONG I DKN’T THINK YOH REALISE HOW LONG I HAVE BEEN WAITING

– Jenson

I think you were hoping for this last year’s blog, weren’t you Jenson? Dreams do come true.

I could have fixed up the typos, but I think that tells the story mate.