The Game Awards 2025 showcased the latest innovations in the video game industry, revealing the best titles in gaming with award categories like Game of the Year and teasing new releases that promise to shape the future of gaming.
At Voice123, the most trusted voice over network for hiring video game voice actors, we’ve seen how the Video Game Awards have evolved from an awards ceremony to a celebration of storytelling.
In this post, we’ll explore the highlights from the Video Game Awards 2025, the Game of the Year winner, the latest releases, and insights for video game developers heading into 2026.
What are the Game Awards?
The Game Awards are an annual ceremony honoring talent and innovation across game development, performance, audio design, narrative, and creativity. The Game Awards 2025 marked the twelfth show hosted by Geoff Keighley and took place on December 11, 2025, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, with a live audience and global livestreams.
Compared to the Video Game Awards 2024, this year leaned heavily into narrative depth, voice performance, and artistic cohesion. The game awards nominees reflected a growing industry-wide emphasis on storytelling and emotional engagement.
When are The Game Awards?
The Game Awards were held on December 11, 2025, at 7:30 PM EST, streamed across YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, X, and even Amazon Prime Video for the first time. The event featured celebrity guests, including David Harbour, Dan Houser, Rahul Kohli, and Lenny Kravitz, as well as a live performance from Evanescence.
The Game Awards 2025 Winners
Who won Game of the Year (GOTY) 2025?
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 won Game of the Year 2025 and dominated the awards with nine wins out of 13 nominations. They were:
- Game of the Year
- Best Independent Game
- Best Debut Indie Game
- Best RPG Game
- Best Narrative
- Best Game Direction
- Best Art Direction
- Best Score and Music
- Best Performance: Jennifer English
These awards highlight that strong creative vision, performance-led storytelling, and cohesive art direction now define the conversation around the Game of the Year awards.
Video Game Awards 2025 Winners
- Best Multiplayer: ARC Raiders
- Players’ Voice: Wuthering Waves
- Best VR/AR Game: The Midnight Walk
- Best Action-Adventure Game: Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Audio Design: Battlefield 6
- Best Fighting Game: Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves
- Best Action Game: Hades II
- Best Mobile Game: Umamusume: Pretty Derby
- Innovation in Accessibility: DOOM: The Dark Ages
- Best Game Adaptation: The Last of Us Season 2
Highlights from the Game Awards 2025
The Game Awards are just as important for reveals as they are for trophies. Here are a few highlights from the Video Game Awards 2025:
- Star Wars: Fate of The Old Republic introduced a new RPG-era experience built for cinematic storytelling.
- Two new Tomb Raider games were confirmed, signaling a renewed focus on narrative-driven action franchises with iconic video game characters.
- Resident Evil: Requiem revealed that Leon S. Kennedy is returning as a playable character alongside Grace Ashcroft.
- Larian Studios, the creators behind Baldur’s Gate, teased a new project called Divinity, continuing its reputation for voice-heavy RPGs.
- Control: Resonant was announced as a full sequel, expanding Remedy’s surreal universe.
- A new clip teased the Super Mario Galaxy movie, and a full-length Street Fighter movie trailer reinforced how cross-media storytelling is shaping modern game development.
A quick recap of the Game Awards 2024
The Video Game Awards 2024 celebrated a standout year in gaming, with Astro Bot taking Game of the Year for its innovative gameplay, charming design, and emotional storytelling, alongside wins for Best Game Direction, Best Action/Adventure Game, and Best Family Game. Metaphor: ReFantazio impressed with its rich narrative and world-building, earning Best Narrative, Best RPG, and Best Art Direction.
Melina Juergens won Best Performance for her powerful portrayal of Senua in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, which also secured Best Audio Design for its immersive soundscapes. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth claimed Best Score and Music for its sweeping, nostalgic soundtrack, and other highlights included Batman: Arkham Shadow winning Best VR/AR Game, Black Myth: Wukong taking Best Action Game, Helldivers 2 winning Best Multiplayer Game, and the Fallout TV show won Best Adaptation.
Here are a few insights for developers from the Game Awards 2025.
What developers can learn from the Video Game Awards 2025
Story and direction outweigh scale
One of the clearest lessons from the Game Awards 2025 is that scale alone no longer guarantees a Game of the Year win. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 succeeded due to its focused direction and narrative clarity, not its budget size. Developers chasing GOTY 2025-level recognition should prioritize creative confidence in new video game genres.
Voice performance is now a core design pillar
Between best narrative, best RPG game, and best performance, vocal delivery played a decisive role in many wins. Jennifer English’s performance demonstrated that voice acting influences emotional pacing, character attachment, and overall perception. For teams building 2025 video games, voice casting should take place alongside writing and animation when making a game.
Audio design directly impacts gameplay
Best audio design is no longer a background category. Battlefield 6 showed how sound design influences immersion, accessibility, and gameplay readability. Developers who integrate audio teams during prototyping, rather than polishing, gain a competitive edge.
Accessibility is now expected
Innovation in accessibility is no longer optional in major categories. DOOM: The Dark Ages demonstrated that accessibility and hardcore gameplay can coexist. Studios that plan inclusivity early are better positioned for awards and long-term player loyalty.
Cross-media thinking matters
With film trailers and movie teasers sharing the stage, the Game Awards nominees reinforced that games are part of larger entertainment ecosystems. Characters, worlds, and especially voices need consistency across formats, making long-term voice casting strategies more valuable than ever.
Final Thoughts
The Video Game Awards shapes how success is defined in the industry. Game Awards 2025 made it clear that story, audio, and performance now sit at the heart of the best games of 2025.
If you’re building toward the next Game of the Year awards, investing in professional voice actors early can be the difference between a good game and a great one. Hire expert voice actors from Voice123 to transform your ideas into an award-winning game or use Voice123 Enterprise for complete project management.
FAQs
The Game Awards start at 7:30 PM ET / 4:30 PM PT, with the pre-show, and they usually run for about three hours.
The Game Awards 2025 were held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles with a live audience.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 won Game of the Year 2025.
Following the GOTY 2025 win, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is widely considered the top-ranked game globally.
