Talking Point: The Game Awards 2025 Nominations Announced: Who Are Your Winners?

The Game Awards has just unveiled the shortlists for every category at this year’s event, highlighting many fantastic titles that have launched throughout 2025.

As expected, there are some standouts nominated for multiple awards, with the most-nominated titles including Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Ghost of Yotei, and Death Stranding 2: On the Beach.

Here’s a list of all the nominations (excluding eSports):

Best Performance

• Ben Starr (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33)
• Charlie Cox (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33)
• Erika Ishii (Ghost of Yotei)
• Jennifer English (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33)
• Konatsu Kato (Silent Hill F)
• Troy Baker (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

So, that’s how it all breaks down this time, and we’ll find out all the winners when The Game Awards itself takes place in mid-December.

However, we’re interested to know — which are your favourites to win in each category? While some of them aren’t super relevant to most, we’ve included polls above, allowing you to have your say on what games deserve to take home which awards.

We’d love to know what you think, so please take part in the polls, and voice your opinions in the comments section below.