The Game Awards 2025: My Standout Nominees and Full Highlights

Written By Ryan Hayden

Introduction

The Game Awards 2025 will take place on December 11, 2025, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Hosted by Geoff Keighley, the ceremony will be streamed globally across YouTube, Twitch, and Prime Video. It is not only a celebration of the year’s most impactful titles but also a stage for world premieres, musical performances, and industry announcements.

This year’s lineup is particularly strong, with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 leading the way with a record-breaking twelve nominations. Other contenders include Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Ghost of Yōtei, Hades II, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (Deadline, 2025; GMA News Online, 2025).

My Personal Standouts

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Sandfall Interactive’s surreal RPG is the frontrunner, nominated in nearly every major category. With its tragic narrative, painterly HD‑2D visuals, and innovative turn-based combat, it feels like the kind of bold RPG that defines a generation (Hypebeast, 2025).

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II

Warhorse Studios’ medieval epic brings historical realism to the forefront. Its nominations for Best Narrative and Game of the Year highlight how uncompromising authenticity can stand alongside fantasy and sci-fi juggernauts (New Game Network, 2025).

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Team Cherry’s long-awaited sequel finally arrived, earning five nominations. With Hornet as the protagonist, Silksong delivers precision Metroidvania gameplay and haunting art direction, proving indie brilliance can rival AAA polish (ComicBook, 2025).

Other Major Nominees

Beyond my personal favorites, several other titles are shaping the awards conversation. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach earned eight nominations, continuing Hideo Kojima’s cinematic storytelling with humanist themes and stunning visuals. Ghost of Yōtei impressed with its feudal Japan setting and immersive open world, earning seven nominations. Hades II secured six nominations, cementing Supergiant Games’ mastery of roguelike design. Even Nintendo’s Donkey Kong Bananza, a Switch 2 exclusive, found itself in the Game of the Year category, blending nostalgia with inventive platforming (GameSpot, 2025).

Publisher Highlights

Sony Interactive Entertainment leads with 19 nominations, followed by Kepler Interactive with 13, and both Electronic Arts and Microsoft with 10 (Deadline, 2025). This balance between blockbuster publishers and smaller studios reflects the diversity of modern gaming, where both massive productions and indie masterpieces can share the spotlight.

Categories Beyond Game of the Year

The awards span dozens of categories, recognizing achievements across genres and disciplines.

  • Best Narrative: Expedition 33, KCD2, Death Stranding 2, Ghost of Yōtei.

  • Best Art Direction: Silksong, Expedition 33, Donkey Kong Bananza.

  • Best RPG: Expedition 33, KCD2, Hades II.

  • Best Action/Adventure: Silksong, Death Stranding 2, Ghost of Yōtei.

  • Best Independent Game: Hades II, Silksong, Split Fiction.

  • Best Score and Music: Death Stranding 2, Expedition 33, Silent Hill f.

These categories highlight how different genres and development scales are recognized, from sprawling AAA productions to indie masterpieces.

Performances and Announcements

The ceremony is not just about awards. Musical performances will include Evanescence, performing “Afterlife” from Netflix’s Devil May Cry series (Deadline, 2025).

Fans also expect major announcements, with rumors pointing to:

  • A new FROM Software project.

  • Capcom’s Resident Evil: Requiem.

  • Konami’s Silent Hill remake.

  • Updates on GTA VI, still slated for 2026.

Conclusion

The Game Awards 2025 showcase the breadth of modern gaming, from Kojima’s cinematic vision to Nintendo’s platforming mastery. However, my personal standouts, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, embody what I value most: originality, immersion, and precision.

On December 11, I will be watching closely to see if any of them claim the ultimate prize, while also celebrating the broader creativity and innovation that make gaming in 2025 so exciting.

References

 

Ryan Hayden
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