Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 took the gaming world by storm at The Game Awards 2025, grabbing Game of the Year and a record-breaking nine awards overall. This turn-based RPG from debut studio Sandfall Interactive beat out heavy hitters like Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Donkey Kong Bananza, Hades II, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II in the top spot. It also swept Best RPG , Best Narrative, Best Art Direction, Best Score and Music, Best Independent Game, Best Debut Indie Game, and Best Game Direction, with Jennifer English nabbing Best Performance. The only nomination it missed was Best Audio Design, which went to Battlefield 6.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II ended up as a big disappointment, picking up zero awards despite nods in Game of the Year, Best Narrative, and Best RPG . Fans were vocal about it online, calling it one of the year's best but overlooked. On a brighter note, No Man's Sky finally got some love with Best Ongoing Game, rewarding Hello Games' years of updates nine years post-launch. It beat Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail, Fortnite, Helldivers 2, and Marvel Rivals. Other winners included Hollow Knight: Silksong for Best Action/Adventure, Arc Raiders for Best Multiplayer, and Umamusume: Pretty Derby for Best Mobile Game.
The show highlighted a mix of indies and big studios, with Nintendo scoring for Donkey Kong Bananza and Mario Kart World in smaller categories. Microsoft grabbed wins via Doom: The Dark Ages and South of Midnight. Players' Voice went to Wuthering Waves, and content creator MoistCr1tikal took the top spot there. Grand Theft Auto VI was Most Anticipated. Overall, it felt like a balanced night where fresh talent shone, but some fan favorites like Kingdom Come got snubbed hard.
