The Game Awards 2025, held live from the Peacock Theater and hosted by Geoff Keighley, delivered a night of celebration for the year's best video games, packed with emotional acceptance speeches, star-studded presentations, and a barrage of world premiere trailers. But the undisputed star was Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 from Sandfall Interactive and Kepler Interactive, which claimed Game of the Year and a record-breaking nine awards, cementing its status as a generational masterpiece in turn-based RPGs with stunning visuals and narrative depth.
The dark fantasy epic, inspired by classic JRPGs and featuring painterly art direction, outperformed heavy hitters like Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Hades II, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Donkey Kong Bananza, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II for the top prize. Director Guillaume Broche thanked Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi in a heartfelt speech, highlighting the indie team's journey.
Major Category Winners
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Game of the Year | Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 |
| Best Game Direction | Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Presented by Todd Howard) |
| Best Narrative | Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 |
| Best Art Direction | Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 |
| Best Score & Music | Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 |
| Best Performance | Jennifer English as Maelle (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33) |
| Best RPG | Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 |
| Best Independent Game | Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 |
| Best Debut Indie Game | Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 |
| Best Family Game | Donkey Kong Bananza (Accepted by Doug Bowser) |
| Best Multiplayer | ARC Raiders (Presented by Milla Jovovich) |
| Innovation in Accessibility | Doom: The Dark Ages |
| Best Esports Game | Counter-Strike 2 |
| Content Creator of the Year | MoistCr1TiKaL |
| Best Esports Athlete | Jung "Chovy" Ji-hoon |
| Games for Impact | South of Midnight |
| Best Sports/Racing | Mario Kart World |
| Best Community Support | Baldur’s Gate 3 |
| Best AR/VR | The Midnight Walk |
| Players' Voice | Wuthering Waves |
Other notable wins included Hades II for Best Action Game, Hollow Knight: Silksong for Best Action/Adventure, and Final Fantasy Tactics: Ivalice Chronicles for Best Sim/Strategy.
Show Highlights and Performances
The ceremony featured joyful moments like Nintendo's Doug Bowser accepting the Family Game award and id Software's team celebrating Doom's accessibility innovations. Muppets Miss Piggy and Rowlf delivered a hilarious performance, while The Game Awards Orchestra played a medley of GOTY nominees. Evanescence rocked "Afterlife" ahead of Devil May Cry Season 2 news.
Biggest Announcements and World Premieres
True to form, the show was a treasure trove of reveals:
- Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve (2026)
- Phantom Blade Zero (Summer 2026)
- Total War: Warhammer 40,000 (First look, presented by David Harbour)
- Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis (Reimagining of the 1996 classic)
- Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic (Arcanaut Studios)
- Highguard (PvP raid shooter from Wildlight)
- Mega Man Dual Override (2027)
- Out of Words (Stop-motion co-op)
- Star Wars Galactic Racer
- Arknights: Endfield (Jan 22, 2026; new theme by OneRepublic)
- Nioh 3 (Feb 2026)
- Devil May Cry Season 2 (May 12, 2026)
- Hitman: World of Assassination (Milla Jovovich as Elusive Target, Feb 2026)
- Marvel Rivals (Deadpool joins Jan 16)
- Super Mario Galaxy Movie (Theaters April 2026)
- And more like 4:LOOP, Warlock: D&D (2027), and Duet Night Abyss update (Dec 23).
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