This year, games became meeting places. They were spaces where players found challenge and connection through emotionally charged stories, competitive arenas and worlds built to be explored together. As developers pushed creative boundaries, the community responded with enthusiasm that made 2025 a defining moment for how games are played and remembered.
The Game Awards 2025, held in Los Angeles on Thursday, Dec.11, became a snapshot of a gaming community that continues to grow louder.
From indie passion projects standing shoulder to shoulder with blockbuster releases, to player-driven awards and accessibility breakthroughs taking center stage, the night showed the gaming community an industry shaped as much by its creators as by the people who play.
Game of the Year – “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33”
A dark fantasy RPG that mixes turn-based combat with real-time inputs. Players must time dodges, parries and attacks during battles while exploring a beautifully painted world, building party synergies, and uncovering a story about loss, memory and fate.
Best Audio Design – “Battlefield 6”
A multiplayer first-person shooter where sound is key. Footsteps, explosions and environmental cues guide players in high-stakes combat.
Best Action Game – “Hades II”
A fast-paced roguelike where players fight through constantly changing levels, mastering combat, magical abilities and repeat runs that gradually grow the character and story.
Best Adaptation – “The Last of Us: Season 2”
A TV adaptation that brings the game’s emotional storytelling to the screen, expanding character arcs originally experienced through exploration, stealth and survival gameplay.
Best Action/Adventure – “Hollow Knight: Silksong”
A hand-drawn Metroidvania focused on exploration, precision platforming and tough combat. Players navigate an interconnected world while unlocking new abilities to overcome challenges.
Best RPG – “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33”
Beyond the story, the game shines in tactical party combat, skill customization and character builds, offering multiple ways to approach encounters and narrative choices.
Esports and Player-Driven Awards
Best Esports Game – “Counter-Strike 2”
A competitive tactical shooter emphasizing precision, teamwork and map control, balancing strategy and skill.
Best Esports Athlete – Chovy
Celebrated for elite skill, adaptability and consistency in high-level competitive play.
Best Esports Team – Team Vitality
Honored for coordinated team play and competitive success across multiple esports titles.
Best Performance – Jennifer English (“Clair Obscur: Expedition 33”)
Awarded for voice and motion capture that brings emotional depth to the game’s story.
Players’ Voice Award – “Wuthering Waves”
A fan-voted action RPG featuring fast-paced combat, character switching and open-world exploration that keeps players engaged and coming back for more. S
Genre and Technical Excellence
Best Sports/Racing – “Mario Kart World”
An arcade-style racing game with imaginative tracks, drifting, items and multiplayer chaos designed for both casual fun and competitive play.
Best Family Game – “Donkey Kong Bananza”
A colorful platformer with accessible controls, cooperative gameplay and light-hearted challenges that anyone can pick up and enjoy.
Best Mobile Game – “Umamusume: Pretty Derby”
A mobile simulation that mixes training, racing and character collection, letting players raise athletes and compete in stylized races.
Strategy, Multiplayer and Ongoing Worlds
Best Sports/Racing – “Mario Kart World”
An arcade-style racing game with imaginative tracks, drifting, items and multiplayer chaos designed for both casual fun and competitive play.
Best Family Game – “Donkey Kong Bananza”
A colorful platformer with accessible controls, cooperative gameplay and light-hearted challenges that anyone can pick up and enjoy.
Best Mobile Game – “Umamusume: Pretty Derby”
A mobile simulation that mixes training, racing and character collection, letting players raise athletes and compete in stylized races.
Best Sim/Strategy – “Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles”
A tactical RPG played on grid maps where positioning, turn order and class combos determine success, rewarding strategy over reflexes.
Best Multiplayer – “Arc Raiders”
A cooperative PvPvE shooter where teams scavenge hostile environments, balance risk and reward, and decide when to fight or avoid other players.
Best Ongoing Game – “No Man’s Sky”
An evolving space exploration game where players discover planets, build bases, trade resources and explore together through ongoing updates.
Best Community Support – “Baldur’s Gate 3”
A choice-driven RPG with player-driven updates, mod support and ongoing engagement that keeps the game fresh.
Special Recognition
Innovation in Accessibility – “Doom: The Dark Ages”
A first-person shooter offering customizable difficulty, controls and visual aids so more players can enjoy high-speed combat.
Games for Impact – “South of Midnight”
An action-adventure game blending combat and exploration with storytelling that reflects cultural identity and social themes.
Content Creator of the Year – “MoistCr1TiKaL”
Recognized for shaping gaming conversations through livestreams, reviews and commentary with humor and insight.
Most Anticipated Game – “Grand Theft Auto VI”
An upcoming open-world title promising story missions, exploration and emergent gameplay in a reactive, living city.