‘Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’ Sets Record With 12 Game Awards Nominations

“Clair Obscur: Expedition 33” has made history by securing a record-breaking twelve nominations for the 2025 Game Awards, setting a new benchmark for the prestigious ceremony now in its eleventh year. Developed by Sandfall Interactive, the game leads an impressive field of contenders across numerous categories, demonstrating its widespread critical acclaim.

Competing for the coveted Game of the Year title, “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33” faces formidable rivals. The shortlist includes “Death Stranding 2: On The Beach” from Kojima Productions, Nintendo’s “Donkey Kong Bananza,” Supergiant Games’ “Hades II,” the long-awaited “Hollow Knight: Silksong” by Team Cherry, and “Kingdom Come: Deliverance II” from Warhorse Studios. While Sony Interactive Entertainment’s “Ghost of Yōtei” did not make the final cut for the top prize, the publisher still emerged as the most nominated company overall with nineteen nominations. Kepler Interactive followed with thirteen, while Electronic Arts and Microsoft tied for third place with ten nominations each.

The category for Best Adaptation, honoring film and television projects based on video games, features a diverse slate. Nominees are “A Minecraft Movie,” the “Devil May Cry” series, the second season of “The Last of Us,” “Splinter Cell: Deathwatch,” and the “Until Dawn” film adaptation.

The nomination process for The Game Awards involves a global jury comprising more than 150 media and influencer outlets. Fan participation plays a crucial role in determining the winners; voting is currently open on the official website, thegameawards.com, until December 10 at 6 p.m. Pacific Time. Supporters in China can also cast their votes on platforms like Bilibili. The final results will reflect a combination of the jury’s selections and the collective fan vote.

Geoff Keighley will host the 2025 ceremony, scheduled for December 11 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The live broadcast will run from 5 to 8 p.m. PT. Beyond the awards presentations, the event promises exclusive world premieres, major game announcements, and special musical performances. Stars from the upcoming second season of Amazon’s “Fallout” television series are also slated to appear as presenters.

Since its inception in 2014, The Game Awards has been freely streamed on platforms such as YouTube, Twitch, X, and TikTok, as well as various services in China. The 2024 event amassed over 154 million live streams globally. This year, a new partnership will also bring the show to Amazon’s Prime Video service. The executive producers for the event are Geoff Keighley and Kimmie Kim, with Richard Preuss serving as director, LeRoy Bennett as creative director, and Michael E. Peter as co-executive producer.

Below is the complete list of nominees for The Game Awards 2025.

GAME OF THE YEAR

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive/Kepler Interactive)
• Death Stranding 2: On The Beach (Kojima Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Donkey Kong Bananza (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)
• Hades II (Supergiant Games)
• Hollow Knight: Silksong (Team Cherry)
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (Warhorse Studios/Deep Silver)

BEST GAME DIRECTION

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive/Kepler Interactive)
• Death Stranding 2: On The Beach (Kojima Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Ghost of Yōtei (Sucker Punch Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Hades II (Supergiant Games)
• Split Fiction (Hazelight Studios/EA)

BEST NARRATIVE

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive/Kepler Interactive)
• Death Stranding 2: On The Beach (Kojima Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Ghost of Yōtei (Sucker Punch Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (Warhorse Studios/Deep Silver)
• Silent Hill f (NeoBards Entertainment/KONAMI)

BEST ART DIRECTION

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive/Kepler Interactive)
• Death Stranding 2: On The Beach (Kojima Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Ghost of Yōtei (Sucker Punch Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Hades II (Supergiant Games)
• Hollow Knight: Silksong (Team Cherry)

BEST SCORE AND MUSIC

• Christopher Larkin, Hollow Knight: Silksong
• Darren Korb, Hades II
• Lorien Testard, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Toma Otowa, Ghost of Yōtei
• Woodkid and Ludvig Forssell, Death Stranding 2: On The Beach

BEST AUDIO DESIGN

• Battlefield 6 (Battlefield Studios/EA)
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive/Kepler Interactive)
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (Kojima Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Ghost of Yōtei (Sucker Punch Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Silent Hill f (NeoBards Entertainment/KONAMI)

BEST PERFORMANCE

• Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Charlie Cox, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Erika Ishii, Ghost of Yōtei
• Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Konatsu Kato, Silent Hill f
• Troy Baker, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

INNOVATION IN ACCESSIBILITY

• Assassin’s Creed Shadows (Ubisoft)
• Atomfall (Rebellion)
• Doom: The Dark Ages (id Software/Bethesda Softworks)
• EA Sports FC 26 (EA Canada/EA Romania/EA)
• South of Midnight (Compulsion Games/Xbox Game Studios)

GAMES FOR IMPACT

• Consume Me (Jenny Jiao Hsia/AP Thomson/Hexacutable)
• Despelote (Julián Cordero/Sebastián Valbuena/Panic)
• Lost Records: Bloom & Rage (Don’t Nod Montreal/Don’t Nod)
• South of Midnight (Compulsion Games/Xbox Game Studios)
• Wanderstop (Ivy Road/Annapurna Interactive)

BEST ONGOING

• Final Fantasy XIV (Square Enix)
• Fortnite (Epic Games)
• Helldivers 2 (Arrowhead Game Studios/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Marvel Rivals (NetEase Games)
• No Man’s Sky (Hello Games)

BEST COMMUNITY SUPPORT

• Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
• Final Fantasy XIV (Square Enix)
• Fortnite (Epic Games)
• Helldivers 2 (Arrowhead Game Studios/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• No Man’s Sky (Hello Games)

BEST INDEPENDENT GAME

• Absolum (Guard Crush Games/Supamonks/Dotemu)
• Ball x Pit (Kenny Sun/Devolver Digital)
• Blue Prince (Dogubomb/Raw Fury)
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive)
• Hades II (Supergiant Games)
• Hollow Knight: Silksong (Team Cherry)

BEST DEBUT INDIE GAME

• Blue Prince (Dogubomb/Raw Fury)
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive/Kepler Interactive)
• Despelote (Julián Cordero/Sebastián Valbuena/Panic)
• Dispatch (AdHoc Studio)
• Megabonk (Vedinad)

BEST MOBILE GAME

• Destiny: Rising (NetEase Games)
• Persona 5: The Phantom X (Black Wings Game Studio/Sega)
• Sonic Rumble (Rovio Entertainment/Sega)
• Umamusume: Pretty Derby (Cygames Inc.)
• Wuthering Waves (Kuro Games)

BEST VR/AR

• Alien: Rogue Incursion (Survios)
• Arken Age (VitruviusVR)
• Ghost Town (Fireproof Games)
• Marvel’s Deadpool VR (Twisted Pixel Games/Oculus Studios)
• The Midnight Walk (MoonHood/Fast Travel Games)

BEST ACTION

• Battlefield 6 (Battlefield Studios/EA)
• Doom: The Dark Ages (id Software/Bethesda Softworks)
• Hades II (Supergiant Games)
• Ninja Gaiden 4 (Platinum Games/Team Ninja/Xbox Game Studios)
• Shinobi: Art of Vengeance (Lizardcube/Sega)

BEST ACTION/ADVENTURE

• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (Kojima Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Ghost of Yōtei (Sucker Punch Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (MachineGames/Bethesda Softworks)
• Hollow Knight: Silksong (Team Cherry)
• Split Fiction (Hazelight Studios/EA)

BEST RPG

• Avowed (Obsidian Entertainment/Xbox Game Studios)
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive/Kepler Interactive)
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (Warhorse Studios/Deep Silver)
• The Outer Worlds 2 (Obsidian Entertainment/Xbox Game Studios)
• Monster Hunter Wilds (Capcom)

BEST FIGHTING

• 2XKO (Riot Games)
• Capcom Fighting Collection 2 (Capcom)
• Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves (SNK Corporation)
• Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection (Digital Eclipse/Atari)
• Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage (Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio/Sega)

BEST FAMILY

• Donkey Kong Bananza (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)
• LEGO Party! (SMG Studio/Fictions)
• LEGO Voyagers (Light Brick Studios/Annapurna Interactive)
• Mario Kart World (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)
• Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds (Sonic Team/Sega)
• Split Fiction (Hazelight Studios/EA)

BEST SIM/STRATEGY

• The Alters (11 Bit Studios)
• FINAL FANTASY TACTICS – The Ivalice Chronicles (Square Enix)
• Jurassic World Evolution 3 (Frontier Developments)
• Sid Meier’s Civilization VII (Firaxis Games/2K)
• Tempest Rising (Slipgate Ironworks/3D Realms)
• Two Point Museum (Two Point Studios/Sega)

BEST SPORTS/RACING

• EA Sports FC 26 (EA Canada/EA Romania/EA)
• F1 25 (Codemasters/EA)
• Mario Kart World (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)
• Rematch (Sloclap/Kepler Interactive)
• Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds (Sonic Team/Sega)

BEST MULTIPLAYER

• Arc Raiders (Embark Studios)
• Battlefield 6 (Electronic Arts)
• Elden Ring Nightreign (FromSoftware/Bandai Namco Entertainment)
• Peak (Aggro Crab/Landfall)
• Split Fiction (Hazelight/EA)

BEST ADAPTATION

• A Minecraft Movie (Legendary Pictures/Mojang/Warner Bros)
• Devil May Cry (Studio Mir/Capcom/Netflix)
• The Last of Us: Season 2 (HBO/PlayStation Productions)
• Splinter Cell: Deathwatch (FOST Studio/Ubisoft/Netflix)
• Until Dawn (Screen Gems/PlayStation Productions)

MOST ANTICIPATED GAME

• 007 First Light (IO Interactive)
• Grand Theft Auto VI (Rockstar Games)
• Marvel’s Wolverine (Insomniac Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Resident Evil Requiem (Capcom)
• The Witcher IV (CD Projekt Red)

CONTENT CREATOR OF THE YEAR

• Caedrel
• Kai Cenat
• MoistCr1TiKaL
• Sakura Miko
• The Burnt Peanut

BEST ESPORTS GAME

• Counter-Strike 2 (Valve)
• DOTA 2 (Valve)
• League of Legends (Riot)
• Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (Moonton)
• Valorant (Riot)

BEST ESPORTS ATHLETE

• brawk – Brock Somerhalder (Valorant)
• Chovy – Jeong Ji-hoon (League of Legends)
• f0rsakeN – Jason Susanto (Valorant)
• Kakeru – Kakeru Watanabe (Street Fighter)
• MenaRD – Saul Leonardo (Street Fighter)
• Zyw0o – Mathieu Herbaut (Counter-Strike 2)

BEST ESPORTS TEAM

• Gen.G – League of Legends
• NRG – Valorant
• Team Falcons – DOTA 2
• Team Liquid PH – Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
• Team Vitality – Counter-Strike 2

(Source: Variety)