Joshua grew up in poverty, deep in the Middle of Nowhere, Alabama. Gaming was a rarely afforded escape from reality that persisted throughout his life, something that saw him through good times and hard times. Joshua started at Game Rant in 2017 where he fell in love with a company that supports creativity, treats video games with the respect they deserve, and is complete with people whose passions match his. It’s this passion he hopes to communicate in every post, in every conversation about the industry, and so forth. Outside of gaming and Game Rant, Joshua spends a lot of time with his lovely wife and children, keeps pulling for Cody Rhodes in WWE, and manages the farm he inherited from his grandfather. If you name a video game, Joshua can rant about it—that’s a guarantee. For Joshua, the world of gaming isn’t just an industry, but his first love.
This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.
Every year, The Game Awards celebrates the best of the best while pulling back the curtain on what’s to come next. The big difference this year is how three of the games nominated for Game of the Year are titles independent of AAA backing and funding, perhaps even casting a light on the future direction of the industry. Still, The Game Awards is about one night, and for one night there’s cause for celebration.
Whether it’s the ingenuity of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the challenge of Hollow Knight: Silksong, the realism of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, the beating heart of cinematic narrative games like Dispatch, or any other number of games to grace the world this year, there’s cause for celebration. It’s worth remembering that, ultimately, behind all these great games are names and faces. You may not know them, but the soul of every game is the passion poured into it by developers, by actors bringing characters to life, by writers carving out their own niche, by publishers who love games, and so many more. Gaming has always been collaborative, and none of this would be possible without them. Thank you all for a great year.
These are all the nominees and winners for The Game Awards 2025. Please note that this article will be updated as the winners are announced, with winners denoted in bold.
The Game Awards 2025 Winners
Game of the Year
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Donkey Kong Bananza
- Hades 2
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
Best Game Direction
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yotei
- Hades 2
- Split Fiction
Best Narrative
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yotei
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
- Silent Hill f
Best Art Direction
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yotei
- Hades 2
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
Best Score and Music
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Hades 2
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Ghost of Yotei
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Best Audio Design
- Battlefield 6
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yotei
- Silent Hill f
Best Performance
- Ben Starr (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33)
- Charlie Cox (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33)
- Erika Ishii (Ghost of Yotei)
- Jennifer English (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33)
- Konatsu Kato (Silent Hill f)
- Troy Baker (Indiana Jones and the Great Circle)
Games for Impact
- Consume Me
- Despelote
- Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
- South of Midnight
- Wanderstop
Innovation in Accessibility
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows
- Atomfall
- Doom: The Dark Ages – WINNER
- EA Sports FC 26
- South of Midnight
Best Ongoing Game
- Final Fantasy 14
- Fortnite
- Helldivers 2
- Marvel Rivals
- No Man’s Sky
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Final Fantasy 14
- Fortnite
- Helldivers 2
- No Man’s Sky
Best Independent Game
- Absolum
- Ball x Pit
- Blue Prince
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – WINNER
- Hades 2
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
Best Debut Indie Game
- Blue Prince
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Despelote
- Dispatch
- Megabonk
Best Mobile Game
- Destiny: Rising
- Persona 5: The Phantom X
- Sonic Rumble
- Umamusume: Pretty Derby – WINNER
- Wuthering Waves
Best VR/AR Game
- Alien: Rogue Incursion
- Arken Age
- Ghost Town
- Marvel’s Deadpool VR
- The Midnight Walk
Best Action Game
- Battlefield 6
- Doom: The Dark Ages
- Hades 2 – WINNER
- Ninja Gaiden 4
- Shinobi: Art of Vengeance
Best Action/Adventure Game
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yotei
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
- Split Fiction
Best Role-Playing Game
- Avowed
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
- Monster Hunter Wilds
- The Outer Worlds 2
Best Fighting Game
- 2XKO
- Capcom Fighting Collection 2
- Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves
- Mortal Kombat: Legacy Collection
- Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage
Best Family Game
- Donkey Kong Bananza – WINNER
- LEGO Party!
- LEGO Voyagers
- Mario Kart World
- Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
- Split Fiction
Best Sim/Strategy Game
- The Alters
- Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles
- Jurassic World Evolution 3
- Sid Meier’s Civilization 7
- Tempest Rising
- Two Point Museum
Best Sports/Racing Game
- EA Sports FC 26
- F1 25
- Mario Kart World
- Rematch
- Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
Best Multiplayer Game
- ARC Raiders
- Battlefield 6
- Elden Ring: Nightreign
- Peak
- Split Fiction
Content Creator of the Year
- Caedrel
- Kai Cenat
- MoistCr1TiKaL
- Sakura Miko
- The Burnt Peanut
Best Esports Game
- Counter-Strike 2 – WINNER
- Dota 2
- League of Legends
- Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
- Valorant
Best Esports Athlete
- Brawk
- Chovy – WINNER
- Forsaken
- Kakeru
- Menard
- Zywoo
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) – WINNER
Best Adaptation
- A Minecraft Movie
- Devil May Cry
- Splinter Cell: Deathwatch
- The Last of Us Season 2 – WINNER
- Until Dawn
Most Anticipated Game
- 007 First Light
- Grand Theft Auto 6
- Marvel’s Wolverine
- Resident Evil Requiem
- The Witcher 4
This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.
