The Game Awards 2025 Prepares For A Showdown: Expedition 33 Leads A Record Breaking Nomination Wave

The Game Awards is gearing up for its December 11 return, and while fans are expecting the usual mix of surprise reveals, cinematic trailers, live performances and unexpected cameos, the heart of the show remains its annual celebration of the industry’s best. The full list of 2025 nominees is now out, offering a clear look at which studios and creators dominated the year. Hosted once again by Geoff Keighley, the event is poised to be one of its biggest editions yet.

This year’s Game of the Year selection looks unusually competitive, bringing together six radically different titles. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (which is my personal favourite), Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Donkey Kong Bananza, Hades II, Hollow Knight: Silksong and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II are the games vying for the award. Expedition 33 leads the entire show with an astonishing 12 nominations, setting a new record for the most-nominated game in the history of The Game Awards. Close behind, Death Stranding 2 and Ghost of Yōtei secured eight nominations each, while Hades II picked up six, Hollow Knight earned five and Split Fiction received four.

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Across categories, the nominations highlight just how varied 2025’s standout releases have been. Best Game Direction reflects a mix of sprawling narrative adventures and tightly crafted action experiences. Best Adaptation continues the growing trend of games crossing into film and television, with titles like A Minecraft Movie, The Last of Us Season 2 and Until Dawn all in contention. Artistic achievement, sound design and narrative craft remain major pillars of recognition, with Expedition 33, Ghost of Yōtei, Hades II and Death Stranding 2 appearing again and again across multiple technical and creative fields.

The list also shows how strong the independent scene has become. The Best Indie and Best Debut Indie categories include Blue Prince, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Absolum, Despelote and several others, underscoring how smaller teams continue to push boundaries. In accessibility, franchises like Assassin’s Creed, Doom and EA Sports FC appear, highlighting the increased focus on inclusive design. For mobile, VR, action, adventure, role-playing, strategy, racing, multiplayer and esports, the spread of nominees paints a broad map of where the industry is heading and which genres evolved most this year.

The Most Anticipated Game category is packed with massive names, from Grand Theft Auto VI to Marvel’s Wolverine and The Witcher IV. Content creators, esports athletes and top teams also get their share of recognition, reflecting the evolving ecosystem around gaming culture. The Players’ Voice award will open later for fan voting, while Game Changer, if it returns, will be revealed during the live show.

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With the full nominations now available, the countdown begins. This year’s awards are setting up a highly competitive night, and as always, surprises on stage might be just as impactful as the winners themselves.