2025 Game Awards Highlights and Winners

The 2025 Game Awards have come and gone, and gaming's most important night has left us with a list of video games worthy of praise. Even though one game in particular was the talk of the town and took home a record-breaking amount of awards, many games and the developers behind them received the recognition they deserve in an industry where their names often go unsung. We're here to fill you in on who won, which games were announced, and other highlights of the night.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Sweeps

It's impossible to talk about the 2025 Game Awards without mentioning Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Created by an indie team of developers, some who split off from massive game publisher Ubisoft, this game took home 8 of the 10 awards it was nominated for, including the coveted Game of the Year award. The game is a dark RPG where you play as a party of characters attempting to stop a god-like being from erasing humankind. It's received high praise from gamers and critics alike for its gameplay and incredible story. Alongside Game of the Year, Expedition 33 also took home Best RPG, Best Independent Game, Best Game Direction, Best Narrative, Best Score/Music, Best Debut Indie Game, and Best Art Direction. With all of these awards under its belt, Expedition 33 has become the most decorated video game in the history of the Game Awards. If you want to play it yourself, you can do so on a video game console like the Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5, or on a gaming PC.

Big Wins for Nintendo

In the realm of more family-friendly games, Nintendo also won some awards. Mario Kart World won Best Sports/Racing Game, while Donkey Kong Bananza, a runner-up for Game of the Year, won Best Family Game. These Nintendo Switch 2 exclusives mark the first major awards season wins for Nintendo after the release of the new console. Though it's not much of a surprise, Mario Kart and Donkey Kong games have been historically beloved by gamers, and both of the new titles in these franchises use the impressive specs of the Switch 2 to their fullest extent.

The Midnight Walk Takes Home Best VR/AR Game

On a less-talked-about but equally exciting note, The Midnight Walk won the award for Best VR/AR Game. VR headsets have become more and more accessible over the years, with prices going down and hardware quality generally going up. VR gaming still has plenty of catching up to do if it wants to become as mainstream as PC and console gaming, but the release of The Midnight Walk showcases just what VR is capable of. The game is available to play on standard screens as well as in VR, but the VR version is far more immersive. The game takes place in a dark, eerie environment and the gameplay primarily revolves around solving puzzles and avoiding horrific monsters that are looking to harm your in-game companion. Many gamers were taken with the visual style of the game, which can be compared to a Tim Burton movie or stop-motion horror film. You can check out The Midnight Walk for yourself on a PS5 or a PC, but if you want to experience it in VR, you're going to need a compatible headset.

The Other Winners of the Night

Here is the complete list of the remaining categories and winners:

Innovation in Accessibility (Awarded to the game with the most innovative accessibility options for gamers with disabilities) - Doom: The Dark Ages

Best Esports Game - Counter-Strike 2

Best Esports Athlete - Chovy

Best Mobile Game - Umamusume: Pretty Derby

Best Adaptation (Awarded to a TV or film adaptation of a game) - The Last of Us: Season 2

Best Action Game - Hades II

Best Performance (of an actor in a game) - Jennifer English (Expedition 33)

Games for Impact (Awarded to a game with a socially-impactful message or meaning) - South of Midnight

Best Ongoing Game - No Man's Sky

Best Audio Design - Battlefield 6

Content Creator of the Year (Awarded to an impactful online creator in the gaming space) - MoistCr1TiKaL

Best Fighting Game - Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves

Most Anticipated Game - Grand Theft Auto VI

Game Changer (Awarded to an entity that is striving to make progressive changes in the gaming space) - Girls Make Games

Best Action/Adventure Game - Hollow Knight: Silksong

Best Sim/Strategy Game - Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles

Best Sports/Racing Game - Mario Kart World

Best Community Support - Baldur's Gate 3

Player's Voice (Awarded exclusively based on individual votes from gamers) - Wuthering Waves

Best Multiplayer - Arc Raiders

Hype Game Announcements

The Game Awards aren't just about celebrating the past year - they're also about looking forward to the future! This year we saw trailers for a new Divinity game, which comes from the same studio behind 2023 Game of the Year Baldur's Gate 3. We also saw trailers for Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic, Control: Resonant, Lego Batman, a new trailer for Resident Evil 9, Megaman Duel Override, Tomb Raider: Catalyst, Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, and many more! The hype train is definitely on the tracks, and 2026 is gearing up to be just as exciting as 2025!

Though the Game Awards are still relatively new - the first one took place in 2014 - it's quickly become one of the hottest events in gaming. Giving game developers an opportunity to get some real recognition for the art they produce is definitely a positive for the industry. Shining a spotlight on the top titles is also a great way to ensure that we'll keep getting great, innovative games year after year. If you're looking for a new game to play, go check out any of the winners, and keep an eye out for the 2026 Game Awards!