The Game Awards 2025 are right around the corner, and this year is stacked.
We’ve got record-breaking nominees, long-awaited sequels, and a show that’s become the year-end checkpoint for anyone who cares about games.
This article is built to do two things:
Help you understand the 2025 lineup before the show, and
Give you a clean structure to plug in winners, world premieres, and demos once everything’s announced.
So if you’re reading this before December 11? Treat it as your pre-show briefing.
Reading it after? Use it as your recap hub.
When & Where Are The Game Awards 2025?
Date: December 11, 2025
Location: Peacock Theater, Los Angeles
Format: Live show + global livestream on major platforms (YouTube, Twitch, etc.)
The show mixes:
Award presentations across ~27 categories
Live performances
“World premieres” (new trailers, announcements, DLC reveals)
It’s basically a mash-up of Oscars, E3, and a very loud group Discord call.
The Big Story: Clair Obscur Leads a Brutal GOTY Race
The headline this year is clear:
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 leads with a record-breaking 12 nominations, the most for any game in Game Awards history.
It’s up against some heavy hitters for 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
Let’s quickly break down what makes each one special – and why you’ll probably hear their names a lot during the show.
Game of the Year: Why These Six Games Are Everywhere
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Genre: Turn-based RPG with a painterly fantasy setting
Why it’s a big deal:
Debut game from Sandfall Interactive, and it landed 12 nominations (GOTY, Direction, Narrative, Art, Performance, and more).
Known for its surreal French-inspired world, stylish combat, and emotional storytelling.
Play if you like: Persona-style party games, strong art direction, and story-driven RPGs where every battle feels hand-crafted.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Genre: Narrative-driven action / traversal adventure
Why it’s a big deal:
Follow-up to Hideo Kojima’s ultra-weird, ultra-ambitious original.
Pulled multiple nominations across Game of the Year, Direction, Narrative, Art, Audio and more.
Known for gorgeous visuals, big performances, and “is this a cutscene or a movie?” vibes.
Play if you like: Slow-burn sci-fi, long walks, emotional gut punches, and thinking about your life choices during credits.
Donkey Kong Bananza
Genre: 2.5D platformer
Why it’s a big deal:
A modern Donkey Kong that blends classic platforming with more dynamic setpieces and big co-op chaos.
Nominated for Game of the Year and Best Family Game, which says a lot about its quality and broad appeal.
Play if you like: Tight platforming, local co-op, and the “everyone can grab a controller and play” vibe.
Hades II
Genre: Rogue-lite action
Why it’s a big deal:
Supergiant Games coming back after the original Hades basically rewrote the rogue-lite playbook.
Multiple nominations including GOTY, Best Action, Best RPG, Art, and Music.
Known for razor-sharp combat, reactive storytelling, and an absurd amount of replay value.
Play if you like: Fast runs, skill-based action, and “just one more run” turning into 3 a.m.
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Genre: Metroidvania
Why it’s a big deal:
One of the most hyped follow-ups in indie history finally arrives.
Picked up nominations for GOTY, Art, Score/Music, plus more.
Known for its precise platforming, intricate level design, and haunting soundtrack.
Play if you like: Challenging but fair combat, exploring every nook of a mysterious world, and gorgeous 2D animation.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
Genre: Realistic first-person RPG
Why it’s a big deal:
Sequel to the historically grounded medieval RPG, doubling down on systems, story, and world detail.
Nominated for GOTY, Narrative, and RPG categories.
It’s all about immersion: no dragons, no magic, just messy political drama, steel, and mud.
Play if you like: Slow, crunchy RPGs; historical settings; and living in a world instead of just rushing through it.
Quick-Fill Winners List (For After the Show)
Here’s a simple structure you can use once winners are locked in.
Major Awards
Game of the Year
Nominees:
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Donkey Kong Bananza
Hades II
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
Winner: TBD – plug in after the show
Best Game Direction
Nominees:
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Ghost of Yōtei
Hades II
Split Fiction
Winner: TBD
Best Ongoing Game
Nominees:
Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail
Fortnite
Helldivers 2
Marvel Rivals
No Man’s Sky
Winner: TBD
Best Multiplayer
Nominees:
Arc Raiders
Battlefield 6
Elden Ring: Nightreign
Peak
Split Fiction
Winner: TBD
You can repeat this pattern for other categories you care about (Best Indie, Best RPG, Best Esports Game, etc.) using any of the full nominee lists as reference.
World Premieres & New Trailers: What Usually Drops
One of the big reasons people tune in: the world premieres.
While we don’t know the exact announcements ahead of time (and anyone who claims to know everything is guessing), The Game Awards has a consistent pattern:
New DLC & expansions for major games
Deep dives or new trailers for already announced titles
Completely new game reveals, often from big publishers or surprise indie teams
This year, keep an eye out especially for games that are already in the spotlight via nominations or “Most Anticipated Game”:
Grand Theft Auto VI
Marvel’s Wolverine
The Witcher 4
007: First Light
Resident Evil: Requiem
You might not get big gameplay for all of them, but The Game Awards often likes to sneak in at least one “OH WOW OKAY” trailer everyone talks about for days.
Pro tip:
Make a quick note while you watch:
“Games I want to try now”
“Games I’ll wishlist for later”
When the hype fades, that list is what actually guides what you play.
Demos & Betas: How to Catch Time-Limited Playtests
Over the last few years, more devs have tied demos and betas to the show. Things like:
“Demo available right now on [platform]!”
“Open beta weekend this Friday–Sunday”
“Steam playtest sign-ups live during the show”
Since we can’t see this year’s exact list yet, here’s how to track them effectively:
Check platform front pages
Steam, PlayStation Store, Xbox, and Nintendo eShop often feature “Game Awards” sections during/after the show.
Follow official accounts
Most devs will post links within minutes of an announcement.
Prioritize Twitter/X, Discord, and Steam news feeds.
Look for “limited time” language
Anything that says “weekend only” or “available until [date]” should go straight to the top of your download queue.
Fallout 76, Live-Service Favorites, and Ongoing Content
It’s not just new games that gain momentum around The Game Awards. Ongoing titles often ride the wave too.
From the nominee lists alone, you can tell which live games are still making noise in 2025:
Fortnite – Still nominated for Best Ongoing and Community Support in recent years and keeps using events and collabs to stay in the meta.
Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail – Big expansion years usually mean renewed attention; 2025 is no exception.
No Man’s Sky – Quietly stacking years of updates, still showing up in ongoing/support categories.
Helldivers 2, Marvel Rivals – Co-op and hero shooters staying in rotation through content drops and balance passes.
Even if they don’t get stage time, expect:
New seasonal events
Expansion roadmaps
Cosmetics, battle passes, or special modes hitting around the same window
If you’re deep into one of these communities, The Game Awards week is always worth monitoring patch notes and dev blogs.
Esports & Community: Not Just Single-Player Stories
The awards also highlight the competitive and creator side of gaming, with categories like:
Best Esports Game – Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, League of Legends, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Valorant
Best Esports Athlete – Names like Chovy, Zywoo, Menard, Forsaken, Kakeru.
Best Esports Team & Coach
Content Creator of the Year
If you’re mostly a single-player or casual co-op player, these categories can still be a great discovery tool:
Want to watch a new esport? Look at the Best Esports Game list and pick the one that matches what you already enjoy.
Want a new Twitch/YouTube comfort creator? Start with the Content Creator of the Year lineup.
How to Turn the Show Into Your “What to Play Next” List
If you don’t care who gets the trophies and just want to know what to play, here’s a simple way to use the show:
Before the show
Pick 1 GOTY nominee you haven’t tried yet.
Pick 1 indie / debut game (Clair Obscur, Blue Prince, Despelote, etc.).
During the show
Keep a small note app open.
Write down games that make you react with “oh dang, that looks cool” instead of “yeah, I’ve heard of that.”
After the show
From your list, choose:
1 short game (indie, demo, or early access)
1 long-term game (RPG, live-service, or big narrative)
Everything else? Wishlist or backlog. You don’t need to play everything now.
