Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Sandfall
The Game Awards is currently ongoing as I write this, and now it’s time to crown some winners in between WORLD PREMIERE trailers for upcoming games. And then ad breaks that are also trailers for upcoming games.
The awards themselves can be controversial, but everyone does want to see what takes home the top prizes every year, as if there is a place that crowns a definitive GOTY, it’s The Game Awards, like it or not. There will no doubt be a host of snubs that everyone will be talking about tomorrow, but there are always loads of deserving winners as well.
The main question heading into the show is if Sandfall’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 can be upset by any other game, given its record number of nominations and clear path to GOTY. It seems unlikely, but we’ll see how the night progresses. It would not be the first supposed sure-thing to be unseated by a dark horse, after all.
ForbesHere’s What Time To Watch ‘The Game Awards’ 2025 Tonight In Your RegionBy Paul Tassi
The full list of the nominees is below, which I will update as these awards are doled out. Some are in the pre-show, others are listed rapid fire as they are every year in a program that probably has too many categories at baseline. So, here we go, and you can refresh for updates:
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Game of the YearClair Obscur: Expedition 33Death Stranding 2: On the BeachDonkey Kong BananzaHades IIHollow Knight: SilksongKingdom Come: Deliverance IIBest Game DirectionClair Obscur: Expedition 33Death Stranding 2: On The BeachGhost of YōteiHades IISplit FictionBest AdaptationA Minecraft MovieDevil May CryThe Last of Us: Season 2 (WINNER) – This would be a bit of a surprise, given that season 2 was not widely liked in many regards compared to the first, but its competition this year was…less than steep.Splinter Cell: DeathwatchUntil DawnBest NarrativeClair Obscur: Expedition 33Death Stranding 2: On The BeachGhost of YōteiKingdom Come: Deliverance IISilent Hill fBest Art DirectionClair Obscur: Expedition 33Death Stranding 2: On The BeachGhost of YōteiHades IIHollow Knight: SilksongBest Score And MusicHollow Knight: SilksongHades IIClair Obscur: Expedition 33Ghost of YōteiDeath Stranding 2: On the BeachBest Audio DesignBattlefield 6Clair Obscur: Expedition 33Death Stranding 2: On the BeachGhost of YōteiSilent Hill fBest PerformanceBen Starr (Expedition 33)Charlie Cox (Expedition 33)Erika Ishii (Ghost of Yotei)Jennifer English (Expedition 33)Konatsu Kato (Silent Hill f)Troy Baker (Indiana Jones and the Great Circle)Innovation In AccessibilityAssassin’s Creed ShadowsAtomfallDoom: The Dark AgesEA Sports FC 26South of MidnightGames for ImpactConsume MeDespeloteLost Records: Bloom & RageSouth of MidnightWanderstopBest Ongoing GameFinal Fantasy XIVFortniteHelldivers 2Marvel RivalsNo Man’s SkyBest Community SupportBaldur’s Gate 3Final Fantasy XIVFortniteHelldivers 2No Man’s SkyBest Independent GameAbsolumBall x PitBlue PrinceClair Obscur: Expedition 33 (WINNER) – The first win for Expedition 33 for the evening, first of many, most likely. This category does have three of the six GOTY nominees in it, interestingly. Beating those two means it’s effectively impossible for either Hades or Silksong to win GOTY over Expedition 33 later in the night.Hades IIHollow Knight: SilksongBest Debut Indie GameBlue PrinceClair Obscur: Expedition 33DespeloteDispatchBest Mobile GameDestiny: RisingPersona 5: The Phantom XSonic RumbleUmamusume: Pretty Derby (WINNER)Wuthering WavesBest VR/AR GameAlien: Rogue IncursionArken AgeGhost TownMarvel’s Deadpool VRThe Midnight WalkBest Action GameBattlefield 6Doom: The Dark AgesHades II (WINNER) – Certainly the most deserving on the list, but as the only GOTY nominee, it was a sure thing here. Ninja Gaiden 4Shinobi: Art of VengeanceBest Action Adventure GameDeath Stranding 2: On the BeachGhost of YōteiIndiana Jones and the Great CircleHollow Knight: SilksongSplit FictionBest RPGAvowedClair Obscur: Expedition 33Kingdom Come: Deliverance IIThe Outer Worlds 2Monster Hunter WildsBest Fighting Game2XKOCapcom Fighting Collection 2Fatal Fury: City of the WolvesMortal Kombat: Legacy KollectionVirtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World StageBest Family GameDonkey Kong Bananza (WINNER)LEGO Party!LEGO VoyagersMario Kart WorldSonic Racing: CrossWorldsSplit FictionBest Sim/Strategy GameThe AltersFINAL FANTASY TACTICS – The Ivalice ChroniclesJurassic World Evolution 3Sid Meier’s Civilization VIITempest RisingTwo Point MuseumBest Sports/RacingEA Sports FC 26F1 25Mario Kart WorldRematchSonic Racing: CrossWorldsBest MultiplayerArc RaidersBattlefield 6Elden Ring NightreignPeakSplit FictionMost Anticipated Game007 First LightGrand Theft Auto VIMarvel’s WolverineResident Evil RequiemThe Witcher IVContent Creator of the YearCaedrelKai CenatMoistCr1TiKaLSakura MikoThe Burnt PeanutBest Esports GameCounter-Strike 2Dota 2League of LegendsMobile Legends: Bang BangValorantBest Esports AthletebrawkChovyf0rsakeNKakeruMenaRDZyw0oBest Esports TeamGen.G – League of LegendsNRG – ValorantTeam Falcons – DOTA 2Team Liquid PH – Mobile Legends: Bang BangTeam Vitality – Counter-Strike 2Players’ VoiceExpedition 33DispatchGenshin ImpactHollow Knight: SilksongWuthering Waves
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