The Game Awards have wrapped for another year, and 2025’s ceremony was one of the more unpredictable shows in recent memory at least until the final stretch, where one game made its dominance impossible to ignore. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 walked away with a sweep that felt both surreal and deserved, depending on who you ask, while several long-running franchises quietly picked up major wins of their own.
Below is a complete breakdown of every category and winner.
Game of the Year
Winner: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
A win that surprised no one by the time it happened. For many players, this game wasn’t just a standout it genuinely redefined expectations for narrative RPGs this generation.
Nominees:
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
• Donkey Kong Bananza
• Hades II
• Hollow Knight: Silksong
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
Best Game Direction
Winner: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
A win that felt inevitable. The vision behind Expedition 33 was one of the most-discussed topics of the night.
Best Adaptation
Winner: The Last of Us: Season 2
A controversial but ultimately expected pick. Despite mixed reactions, it still outperformed the competition in pure cultural reach.
Best Narrative
Winner: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
The award that many felt the game most deserved it’s been widely praised for its emotional weight and world-building.
Best Art Direction
Winner: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
A game about a world that is literally a painting winning here? No shock at all.
Best Score & Music
Winner: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Its soundtrack has been a constant presence online since launch, so this win landed with a sense of inevitability.
Best Audio Design
Winner: Battlefield 6
A rare category where Expedition 33 didn’t dominate Battlefield’s audio team continues to operate on an entirely different level.
Best Performance
Winner: Jennifer English (Expedition 33)
Her performance as Maelle has been a highlight for nearly everyone who played the game. Many felt it was her award to lose.
Innovation in Accessibility
Winner: Doom: The Dark Ages
Games for Impact
Winner: South of Midnight
Best Ongoing Game
Winner: No Man’s Sky
Best Community Support
Winner: Baldur’s Gate 3
Best Independent Game
Winner: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
The moment this category was announced, many viewers realised GOTY was basically locked.
Best Debut Indie Game
Winner: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Best Mobile Game
Winner: Umamusume: Pretty Derby
Best VR/AR Game
Winner: The Midnight Walk
Best Action Game
Winner: Hades II
Supergiant Games’ sequel landed exactly where fans expected.
Best Action/Adventure Game
Winner: Hollow Knight: Silksong
Team Cherry finally returned in style, even if it didn’t manage a surprise GOTY upset.
Best RPG
Winner: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Best Fighting Game
Winner: Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves
Best Family Game
Winner: Donkey Kong Bananza
Best Sim/Strategy Game
Winner: Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles
Best Sports/Racing
Winner: Mario Kart World
Best Multiplayer
Winner: Arc Raiders
Most Anticipated Game
Winner: Grand Theft Auto VI
Content Creator of the Year
Winner: MoistCr1TiKaL
Best Esports Game
Winner: Counter-Strike 2
Best Esports Athlete
Winner: Chovy
Best Esports Team
Winner: Team Vitality – CS2
Players’ Voice Award
Winner: Wuthering Waves
One of the few categories where Expedition 33 didn’t claim victory. WEEBS UNITE
2025 will largely be remembered as the year Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 took over The Game Awards. Few games in recent memory have managed to win across so many major categories, and even fewer have done so with this level of broad community approval.
Whether you loved the results, hated them, or were simply surprised by a few upsets, it’s clear this year’s winners will be remembered for a long time.
1-Up Games 