The Game Awards 2025 are almost here and, once again, the show is the main benchmark for anyone who wants to discover the best video games of 2025. The ceremony, hosted by Geoff Keighley, will take place on December 11 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles and will be streamed worldwide, featuring world premieres, new trailers and exclusive announcements.

For the first time, the event will also be available on Amazon Prime Video, in addition to the official YouTube and Twitch channels of The Game Awards, with a dedicated pre-show and digital red carpet. This turns the ceremony into a global entertainment event, not just an awards night.

How voting works at The Game Awards 2025

The Game Awards 2025 voting system is split between a professional jury and the public. A network of more than one hundred international outlets selects the nominees and votes in every category. The jury vote accounts for 90% of the final result, while 10% comes from fan voting.

To take part, players only need to visit the nominees page on thegameawards.com, log in and cast their votes while the polls are open. This makes the show an interactive experience for the community, not just a livestream to watch.

Event structure: awards, trailers and world premieres

The Game Awards 2025 ceremony alternates live awards, interviews and musical performances with a long list of new game announcements, updates for existing titles and world premiere trailers.

Categories cover every major area of the industry. The show includes the prestigious Game of the Year (GOTY) award, along with Best Game Direction, Best Narrative, Best Art Direction, Best Score & Music, Best Performance, Best RPG, Best Action/Adventure, Best Fighting Game, Best Ongoing Game, Best Community Support, Best Independent Game, plus awards for mobile, VR/AR, esports and Innovation in Accessibility.

Thanks to this structure, the event becomes a complete snapshot of what truly matters in gaming in 2025.

Game of the Year 2025: all nominees

The Game of the Year 2025 category is the core of The Game Awards. This year’s GOTY lineup includes:

  • Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  • Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
  • Donkey Kong Bananza
  • Hades II
  • Hollow Knight: Silksong
  • Kingdom Come: Deliverance II

The selection mixes story-driven RPGs, highly creative action games, iconic platformers and hardcore metroidvania experiences. For players, it simply means that whichever title wins GOTY, this shortlist is already a must-play list for 2025.

Key categories and main nominations

Beyond GOTY, several categories draw particular attention.

Best Game Direction
This award focuses on overall creative vision and direction. Nominees are Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Ghost of Yōtei, Hades II and Split Fiction.

Best Narrative
Here the spotlight is on storytelling. The lineup features Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Death Stranding 2, Ghost of Yōtei, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II and Silent Hill f.

Best Art Direction
This category rewards visual style and artistic coherence. Once again, we see Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Death Stranding 2, Ghost of Yōtei, Hades II and Hollow Knight: Silksong.

Best RPG
The role-playing lineup includes Avowed, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, The Outer Worlds 2 and Monster Hunter Wilds.

Best Action/Adventure
In this category we find Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Ghost of Yōtei, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Hollow Knight: Silksong and Split Fiction.

Finally, Best Audio Design showcases Battlefield 6, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Death Stranding 2, Ghost of Yōtei and Silent Hill f, underlining how crucial sound design has become in modern gaming.

The main favorites at The Game Awards 2025

Looking at the nominations, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 clearly stands out. With 12 nominations, it sets a new all-time record for The Game Awards and becomes the most nominated game in the show’s history. The JRPG by Sandfall Interactive blends turn-based and real-time combat, a Belle Époque-inspired world and a bold art direction, making it a natural contender for GOTY, Best Game Direction, Best Art Direction and Best RPG.

Right behind it, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach pushes Hideo Kojima’s formula even further, with a dense narrative, experimental gameplay ideas and a striking audiovisual identity.

Hades II represents the perfect choice for players who love replayable systems and deep combat. Its fast-paced dungeon crawling, build variety and modern take on Greek mythology keep it in the race for GOTY and for several genre and music awards.

The long-awaited Hollow Knight: Silksong has an extremely passionate community behind it. The game appears in categories such as Game of the Year, Best Action/Adventure, Best Art Direction and Best Score & Music, thanks to Christopher Larkin’s acclaimed soundtrack.

Lastly, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II refines the historical RPG formula of the original game, earning nominations both in GOTY and story-focused categories through its realistic portrayal of medieval Europe.

Where to watch The Game Awards 2025

Catching the show live is easy. The Game Awards 2025 livestream will be available on:

  • the official The Game Awards YouTube channel
  • the official Twitch channel
  • Amazon Prime Video in supported regions
  • the official website thegameawards.com

The pre-show starts earlier in the afternoon (US time), while European viewers will watch the event overnight. A full replay will be available on demand after the broadcast.

Nominated games available on IndieGala

Several Game Awards 2025 nominees are already available to buy on IndieGala.com, often with notable discounts. Among them:

  • Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – sold both as a standard version and as a Deluxe Edition, this is one of the absolute stars of the year and the most nominated game in the show. standard – deluxe
  • Hollow Knight: Silksong – the highly anticipated metroidvania sequel, nominated for Game of the Year, Best Art Direction and Best Independent Game. here
  • Kingdom Come: Deliverance II – available on IndieGala both as a standard edition and as a Gold Edition, ideal for players who want the full medieval RPG package. standard – gold – dlc
  • Kingdom Come: Deliverance and Royal Edition – the original game remains a benchmark for realistic RPGs and is closely tied to the now-nominated sequel. IndieGala offers the base game, several DLC packs and the complete Royal Edition. standard – royal – dlc packs

Buying these titles now lets players experience them before the ceremony and understand exactly why each one deserves its place among the nominees.

Why The Game Awards 2025 matter

In the end, The Game Awards 2025 are not just about counting trophies. The show is a moment when the industry stops, looks back at the year and decides which games truly pushed the boundaries in innovation, storytelling, art direction and game design.

Whether your personal favorite is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Hades II, Hollow Knight: Silksong or Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, one thing is clear: this edition of The Game Awards confirms 2025 as one of the strongest and most exciting years for modern video games.