Image Credit: The Game Awards

The Game Awards 2025 took place on December 11, 2025, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, drawing global attention with its blend of awards, world premieres, and surprise announcements. Hosted once again by Geoff Keighley, the annual ceremony honored the best games of the year while also sparking discussion across the gaming community.

The Big Winner: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

The standout story of the night was the phenomenal success of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 from Sandfall Interactive. This critically acclaimed RPG made history at this year’s awards:

• Game of the Year
• Best Game Direction
• Best Narrative
• Best Art Direction
• Best Score & Music
• Best Independent Game
• Best Debut Indie Game
• Best RPG
• Best Performance (Jennifer English)

In total, Clair Obscur swept nine awards, setting a new record for the most trophies won by a single title in one ceremony, surpassing previous milestones. It also became the first debut and first French-developed Game of the Year winner.

The game’s success translated into a surge in player interest and sales in the days following the ceremony, making it not only a critical darling but a commercial phenomenon as well.

Other Major Winners

While Clair Obscur dominated the top awards, the night recognized excellence across a wide variety of games and genres:

• Best Audio Design – Battlefield 6
• Best Ongoing Game – No Man’s Sky
• Best Community Support – Baldur’s Gate 3
• Best Action Game – Hades II
• Best Action/Adventure – Hollow Knight: Silksong
• Best Sports/Racing – Mario Kart World
• Best Multiplayer – ARC Raiders
• Innovation in Accessibility – DOOM: The Dark Ages
• Games for Impact – South of Midnight
• Best Adaptation – The Last of Us: Season 2
• Players’ Voice (Fan-Voted) – Wuthering Waves
• Most Anticipated Game – Grand Theft Auto VI (second consecutive year)
• Content Creator of the Year – MoistCr1TiKaL
• Best Esports Game – Counter-Strike 2
• Best Esports Athlete – Chovy
• Best Esports Team – Team Vitality

This diverse slate of winners highlighted both established franchises and rising stars, underscoring the vibrant creativity thriving across the gaming industry.

World Premieres & Announcements

Beyond awards, The Game Awards 2025 served as a platform for high-profile reveals and trailers, generating excitement for the year ahead:

• A mysterious teaser statue in the Mojave Desert hinted at Divinity, a new RPG from Larian Studios, described as larger than Baldur’s Gate 3.
• New games including Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic, Total War: Warhammer 40,000, and Exodus were showcased with gameplay footage.
• The long-awaited Control: Resonant, two new Tomb Raider projects, and a Diablo IV expansion were revealed or teased.
• Celebrity casting news also broke, such as Lenny Kravitz portraying a Bond villain in 007: First Light, a new third-person James Bond adventure game.

These announcements helped balance the awards with forward-looking buzz, showcasing both beloved franchises and bold new projects.

Community Reaction: Mixed Reviews

Despite the spectacle, some segments of the gaming community expressed disappointment with the event’s pacing and content. In a recent poll, nearly 39% of viewers rated the show “D or below”, criticizing a lack of surprising moments in the second half, leaked reveals prior to their official debut, and segments that didn’t resonate with the audience.

Opinion pieces from industry writers also highlighted missed opportunities, arguing that while the awards honored excellence, the presentation sometimes fell flat compared to previous years.

A Landmark Night for Gaming

The 2025 Game Awards offered both a celebration of past achievements and a tantalizing glimpse at what’s next. With Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 rewriting records, major reveals setting up 2026, and spirited fan debate in full swing, the ceremony once again proved its importance as a cultural landmark for the gaming world.

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