Sandfall Interactive’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 isn’t just in the conversation; it’s leading the charge with a staggering 12 nominations. Yeah, you read that right—12. For a turn-based RPG from a relatively fresh indie studio, that’s not a win; it’s a statement.resonated.
Heavy Hitters Trailing Close Behind
Same category sweep as Death Stranding 2, plus Erika Ishii’s portrayal of Atsu earning a Best Performance spot. It’s got that poetic melancholy, like haiku in sword form. Outbound link for context: Sucker Punch’s official tease on PlayStation Blog.
These feel like the underdogs you root for—the ones that started as passion projects and now stand tall. Relive Supergiant’s roguelike magic in our Hades series retrospective.
Publisher Power Plays and Event Deets
Publishers are flexing too. It’s a reminder that even giants have to earn it.
The ceremony? Mark your calendar for Thursday, December 11, 2025, at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles. Streams kick off at 5pm PT/8pm ET on Amazon Prime and Twitch. For a full recap, head to our Game Awards 2024 roundup.
Outbound link for live updates: Official Game Awards site.
Full Nominees Breakdown: The Big Categories
To keep it digestible, here’s a table of the marquee categories—focusing on GOTY contenders and standouts.
| Category | Nominees |
|---|---|
| Game of the Year | – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive/Kepler Interactive) – Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (Kojima Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment) – Donkey Kong Bananza (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo) – Hades 2 (Supergiant Games) – Hollow Knight: Silksong (Team Cherry) – Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 (Warhorse Studios/Deep Silver) |
| Best Game Direction | – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – Death Stranding 2: On the Beach – Ghost of Yōtei (Sucker Punch Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment) – Hades 2 – Split Fiction (Hazelight Studios/EA) |
| Best Narrative | – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – Death Stranding 2: On the Beach – Ghost of Yōtei – Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 – Silent Hill F (NeoBards Entertainment/Konami) |
| Best Art Direction | – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – Death Stranding 2: On the Beach – Ghost of Yōtei – Hades 2 – Hollow Knight: Silksong |
| Best Score and Music | – Hollow Knight: Silksong – Christopher Larkin – Hades 2 – Darren Korb – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – Lorien Testard – Ghost of Yōtei – Toma Otowa – Death Stranding 2: On the Beach – Woodkid and Ludvig Forssell |
| Best Performance | – Ben Starr – Verso, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – Charlie Cox – Gustave, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – Erika Ishii – Atsu, Ghost of Yōtei – Jennifer English – Maelle, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – Konatsu Kato – Hinako Shimizu, Silent Hill F – Troy Baker – Indiana Jones, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle |
(For the exhaustive list across all 30+ categories—like Best Ongoing Game with Final Fantasy 14 leading, or Most Anticipated with GTA 6 looming—dive into the official nominees page.
Look, I’ve got my biases—Clair Obscur‘s got that rare spark where mechanics and melancholy click just right. Who’s your pick for GOTY? Drop it in the comments, and let’s debate.
