Highlights
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 tops the shortlist with 12 nominations
- Competing titles include Death Stranding 2, Donkey Kong Bananza and Hades 2
- The Game Awards takes place on 11 December in Los Angeles
- Debate emerges over independent game eligibility
Clair Obscur leads a competitive year
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 enters this year’s Game Awards as the most-nominated title, securing 12 nods, including Game of the Year. The role-playing adventure, produced by a core team of around 30 at Sandfall Interactive in Montpellier, earns recognition for its narrative, combat design and performances.
Three cast members, Ben Starr, Charlie Cox and Jennifer English, feature in the best performance category, while the game is also shortlisted for best narrative and best independent game. Its inclusion in the independent category may raise questions, as the project received support from global partner studios and publisher Kepler Interactive.
Joining Clair Obscur in the Game of the Year race are Death Stranding 2, Donkey Kong Bananza, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Hades 2 and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2.
The event, often described as the industry’s biggest annual celebration, takes place on 11 December in Los Angeles. Organisers report 154 million livestreams for the 2024 ceremony, when Astro Bot won the top award.
Inside the Game Awards
The Game Awards, hosted by founder Geoff Keighley, spans 29 categories and mixes presentations with musical performances, celebrity appearances and major game announcements.
Each year, viewers largely tune in for world-premiere trailers. The previous ceremony debuted footage from The Witcher 4, Elden Ring: Nightreign and Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet from Naughty Dog.
Game of the Year contenders
Sandfall’s breakout success leads a varied field. Hades 2 and Hollow Knight: Silksong sequels produced by small teams stand alongside the big-budget releases.
Silksong, long awaited and compared to a “GTA 6 for indie fans” due to its development saga and heavy anticipation, caused online store outages on release. Hades 2 continues Supergiant Games’ acclaimed series set in the underworld.
Sony also posts a strong showing this year with eight nominations each for Death Stranding 2 and Ghost of Yōtei. Kojima’s sequel is up for best narrative, although its high-profile cast, including Norman Reedus, does not feature in performance categories. Erika Ishii, meanwhile, receives a nomination for her role in Ghost of Yōtei.
Nintendo’s Donkey Kong Bananza, released as part of the early Switch 2 line-up, rounds out the top category along with medieval saga Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2.
Other notable outcomes include Split Fiction Josef Fares’s follow-up to It Takes Two missing out on a Game of the Year nomination, and mystery title Blue Prince being recognised only in the independent game category despite strong reviews.
Concerns around the awards
The Game Awards has previously been criticised for favouring promotional segments over on-stage recognition, with speeches cut short and some categories receiving minimal presentation. The 2024 ceremony was seen as an improvement, but developers continue to call for the event to address industry challenges, particularly widespread job losses.
The decision to discontinue the Future Class programme launched in 2020 to highlight emerging talent has also sparked debate. The initiative last ran in 2023, when its members urged organisers to address the Israel–Gaza conflict. After confirmation that it would not return this year, former participants accused the programme of tokenism and failing to support professional growth.
In 2024, the ceremony introduced a game-changer award, presented to Amir Satvat for his work assisting developers affected by layoffs.
