On December 12, the Game Awards 2025 selected the best video games of the year, sparking lively discussions in the tech community. The title “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33” stands out as the clear favorite and wins several key categories. Readers can find an overview of the most important winners and trends that will shape the industry here.
- Game of the Year: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 overtakes strong contenders such as Death Stranding 2 and Hades 2.
- Several core categories: Wins in Game Direction, Story, Art Direction and Best Role Playing Game underline the quality.
- Further highlights: Hades 2 as Best Action Game, Hollow Knight: Silksong in the Action Adventure section.
- Surprises: Battlefield 6 takes Best Audio Design, No Man’s Sky dominates Ongoing Games.
The great triumph of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
“Clair Obscur: Expedition 33” is being hailed as Game of the Year 2025, dominating the event with wins in key areas such as Best Game Direction, Best Story and Best Art Direction. The title impresses with innovative storytelling, impressive visual design and a captivating plot that puts nominees such as Death Stranding 2: On the Beach and Hades 2 in the shade. In particular, Jennifer English’s performance as Maelle is awarded Best Performance, which underlines the depth of her acting.
In the role-playing game category, the winner sets new standards, beating titles such as Monster Hunter Wilds or Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. As Best Indie Game and Best Indie Debut, the game proves to be a breath of fresh air for independent developers. The soundtrack by Lorien Testard adds to the success, winning Best Soundtrack and Music, perfecting the immersive atmosphere. Such multiple wins reflect a trend where creative indie productions are challenging established blockbusters.
Action, adventure and multiplayer highlights
Hades 2 (our test) secures the award for Best Action Game and outperforms competitors such as Ninja Gaiden 4 or Doom: The Dark Ages with its dynamic gameplay. Hollow Knight: Silksong wins Best Action Adventure and impresses with its depth of exploration ahead of titles such as Ghost of Yotei. In the multiplayer category, ARC Raiders wins Best Multiplayer Game, while Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is the Best Fighting Game.
Family games such as Donkey Kong Bananza and Mario Kart World (Best Sports/Racing Game) complete the picture and appeal to a wide audience. Battlefield 6 surprises with Best Audio Design, which points to high-quality soundscapes in shooters. Ongoing games benefit from No Man’s Sky as the winner, which rewards long-term support. This diversity shows how the Game Awards 2025 celebrate innovation in different genres and spur developers on to quality.
eSports, adaptations and outlook
Counter-Strike 2 takes the prize for Best eSports Game, Team Vitality is honored as Best eSports Team and Chovy as Best eSports Athlete. In the Best Adaptation category, The Last of Us Season 2 dominates, underlining the success of game adaptations. Grand Theft Auto 6 is celebrated as Most Wanted 2026 and is raising high expectations. Content creator MoistCritikal is named Creator of the Year.
Doom: The Dark Ages wins in the Innovation in Accessibility category and South of Midnight as Games for Impact, which emphasizes social relevance. Baldur’s Gate 3 receives Best Community Support. These awards highlight not only game quality, but also community and accessibility as industry priorities.
The Game Awards 2025 underline the rise of “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33” as the highlight of the year and signal exciting developments for 2026.
Game Awards 2025: All winners at a glance
Game of the year
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Donkey Kong Bananza
- Hades II
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
Best Game Design
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Hades II
- Split Fiction
Best Narrative
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Silent Hill f
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
Best Customization
- Minecraft – The Movie
- Devil May Cry
- The Last of Us: Season 2
- Splinter Cell: Deathwatch
- Until Dawn
Best Art Direction
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Hades II
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
Best Music
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Hades II
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Death Stranding 2
Best Audio Design
- Battlefield 6
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Silent Hill f
Best Performance
- Ben Starr – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Charlie Cox – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Erika Ishii – Ghost of Yōtei
- Jennifer English – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Konatsu Kato – Silent Hill f
- Troy Baker – Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Innovation in accessibility
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows
- Atomfall
- Doom: The Dark Ages
- EA Sports FC 26
- South of Midnight
Games for Impact
- Consume Me
- Despelote
- Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
- South of Midnight
- Wanderstop
Best running game
- Final Fantasy XIV
- Fortnite
- Helldivers 2
- Marvel Rivals
- No Man’s Sky
Best Community Support
- Baldur’s Gate III
- Final Fantasy XIV
- Fortnite
- Helldivers 2
- No Man’s Sky
Best Indie Game
- Absolute
- Ballpit
- Blue Prince
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Hades II
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
Best Indie Debut Game
- Blue Prince
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Despelote
- Dispatch
- Megabonk
Best Mobile Game
- Destiny: Rising
- Persona 5: The Phantom X
- Sonic Rumble
- Umamusume: Pretty Derby
- Wuthering Waves
Best VR/AR game
- Alien: Rogue Incursion
- Arken Age
- Ghostwire VR
- Marvel’s Deadpool VR
- The Midnight Walk
Best Action Game
- Battlefield 6
- Doom: The Dark Ages
- Hades II
- Ninja Gaiden 4
- Shinobi: The Art of Revenge
Best Action/Adventure
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Split Fiction
Best Role Playing Game
- Avowed
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
- The Outer Worlds 2
- Monster Hunter Wilds
Best Fighting Game
- 2XKO
- Capcom Fighting Collection 2
- Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves
- Mortal Kombat: Legacy Collection
- Virtua Fighter 5 REVO World Stage
Best Family Game
- Donkey Kong Bananza
- LEGO Party
- LEGO Voyagers
- Mario Kart World
- Sonic Racing: Crossworlds
- Split Fiction
Best strategy/simulation game
- The Ages
- Final Fantasy Tactics
- Jurassic World Evolution 3
- Civilization VII
- Rising Storm
- Two Point Museum
Best sports/racing game
- EA Sports FC 26
- F1 25
- Mario Kart World
- Rematch
- Sonic Racing: Crossworlds
Best multiplayer game
- ARC Raiders
- Battlefield 6
- Elden Ring: Nightreign
- Summit
- Split Fiction
Most Anticipated Game
- 007: First Light
- Grand Theft Auto VI
- Marvel’s Wolverine
- Resident Evil Requiem
- The Witcher IV
Content Creator of the Year
- Caedrel
- Kai Cenat
- MoistCr1TiKaL
- Sakura Miko
- Burnt Peanut
Best e-sports game
- Counter-Strike 2
- DOTA 2
- League of Legends
- Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
- Valorant
Best e-sports athlete
- brawk
- Chovy
- forsakeN
- Kakeru
- MenaRD
- Zyw0o
Best e-sports team
- Gen.G – League of Legends
- NRG – Valorant
- Team Falcons – DOTA 2
- Team Liquid PH – MLBB
- Team Vitality – CS2
