The Game Awards 2025 celebrated gaming excellence on December 11th at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Geoff Keighley hosted the twelfth annual ceremony, which honoured the best video games produced during 2025. The live event streamed globally across multiple platforms including TikTok, Twitch, Twitter, YouTube, and Amazon Prime Video for the inaugural year.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 emerged as the standout victor of the evening. The Sandfall Interactive title captured the Game of the Year award alongside nine additional accolades. This marked the most nominations for any single game in the event’s twelve-year history, with thirteen separate nominations across various categories.
The competition for Game of the Year proved intensely contested. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Donkey Kong Bananza, Hades II, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II challenged for the coveted prize. Clair Obscur’s victory represented a significant moment, as it stood among the first independent games nominated in this elite category across multiple nominees in a single year.
Record-Breaking Achievement Across All Categories
Clair Obscur cemented its dominance with victories spanning multiple fields. The title took home honours for Best Game Direction, Best Narrative, and Best Art Direction during the evening. Recognition extended to its exceptional technical achievements, capturing accolades for Best Score & Music and Best Audio Design, with composer Lorien Testard acknowledged for the soundtrack.
Performances drew particular praise from the awards jury. Jennifer English won Best Performance for her leading role in the adventure. Ben Starr captured recognition as a supporting performer within the game’s ensemble cast. Charlie Cox also received acknowledgement for his vocal contribution to the production.
Clair Obscur additionally claimed victories for Best Role-Playing Game, Best Independent Game, and Best Debut Indie Game. The title’s sweeping success demonstrated the strength of Sandfall Interactive’s debut work. Players voted through the official website and Discord channels, contributing to the final results alongside the professional jury panel.
Notable Winners Across Gaming Genres
Hollow Knight: Silksong triumphed in the Best Action/Adventure category. Arc Raiders secured the Best Multiplayer Game award from a field including Battlefield 6, Elden Ring Nightreign, Peak, and Split Fiction. No Man’s Sky earned recognition as Best Ongoing Game, beating established titles including Final Fantasy XIV, Fortnite, Helldivers 2, and Marvel Rivals.
The mobile gaming sector witnessed a victory for Umamasume Pretty Derby. Umamasume defeated competitors Destiny Rising, Persona 5: The Phantom X, Sonic Rumble, and Wuthering Waves for the mobile gaming title. The Midnight Walk claimed the Best VR/AR Game award, overcoming Alien: Rogue Incursion, Arken Age, Ghost Town, and Marvel’s Deadpool VR.
Doom: The Dark Ages distinguished itself by winning Innovation in Accessibility. The id Software and Bethesda Softworks collaboration outpaced Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Atomfall, EA Sports FC 26, and South of Midnight. The award recognised gaming advances benefiting players with disabilities and accessibility requirements.
Entertainment and Esports Recognition
Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves captured Best Fighting Game honours. The SNK title surpassed 2XKO from Riot Games, Capcom Fighting Collection 2, Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection, and Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage competitors.
Baldur’s Gate 3 claimed Best Community Support, demonstrating the game’s enduring player engagement following its initial 2023 release. The Last of Us Season 2 won Best Adaptation, reflecting growing recognition of video game television productions. The adaptation defeated A Minecraft Movie, Devil May Cry, Splinter Cell: Deathwatch, and Until Dawn competitors.
MoistCr1TiKaL earned Content Creator of the Year recognition. Chovy claimed Best Esports Athlete honours, whilst Team Vitality triumphed as Best Esports Team. Grand Theft Auto VI swept the Most Anticipated Game category, receiving strong support from the community voting mechanism.
Ceremony Production and Global Reach
Kimmie Kim returned as executive producer alongside Keighley. Richard Preuss directed the ceremony, whilst LeRoy Bennett served as creative director and Michael E. Peter contributed as co-executive producer. Sydnee Goodman hosted the Opening Act preshow segment lasting thirty minutes.
The Peacock Theater accommodated the live audience for the event. Public ticket sales commenced November 1st for interested attendees wishing to witness the proceedings in person. The venue provided an intimate setting for the gaming industry’s most significant annual celebration.
Amazon Prime Video secured streaming rights for the first time in Game Awards history. The platform joined traditional broadcasters Twitch, YouTube, Twitter, and TikTok in distributing the ceremony globally. Twitch offered the broadcast in 1440p resolution, marking the first year at this enhanced quality standard. This technical enhancement improved viewing quality for audiences worldwide.
Industry Recognition and Voting Methodology
Over 150 media outlets globally contributed jury members to the nominee selection process. Specialised panels evaluated games in accessibility, adaptation, and esports categories. Winners emerged through a hybrid voting system weighting jury decisions at 90 per cent and public votes at 10 per cent through the official website and Discord platform.
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The Players’ Voice category operated independently with entirely community-driven voting. The mechanism opened December 1st and generated unprecedented website traffic levels. Keighley noted the server strain created by millions of votes cast within initial hours.
Clair Obscur’s thirteen nominations set a new benchmark for single-game recognition. Previous records paled in comparison to this achievement. The historical significance underscored the quality and industry impact of the Sandfall Interactive production.
Closing Perspective
The Game Awards 2025 demonstrated the continued evolution of gaming as a creative medium. Industry recognition extended across established franchises and emerging independent works. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s dominant performance signalled a shift in gaming preferences toward substantive narrative experiences and technical excellence.
The global streaming capability enabled millions of viewers to participate in the ceremony. Amazon’s inaugural partnership broadened distribution capabilities for future iterations. The event reinforced gaming’s position within mainstream entertainment culture whilst maintaining focus on industry achievements and technical innovation across all development scales.
