The Game Awards is a real big deal each year, and for 2025, we have our predictions ready for all the categories. While we may have already talked about our favorite choices for the game of the year title, life isn’t always sunshine and rainbows.
This is because Geoff Keighley has already announced the nominations for this year’s award ceremony. But what we can do is speculate on which of the nominees will win in each of their respective categories.
The Game Awards 2025 Predictions
Best Direction – Death Stranding 2
There have been a lot of great contenders in this category this year, so it is hard to decide. But the clear winner once again is Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding 2: On The Beach. Just like the first game, he ensures to bring in a new array of star cast, further bridging the gap between gaming and movies.
Death Stranding 2 expands on the story from the first game to a bigger world map. It is bigger and more ambitious, bringing more ways to surprise the players, along with some familiar faces. According to our predictions, it should win the award for best direction at the Game Awards 2025.
Best Narrative – Silent Hill F
Some of the heavy hitters this year absolutely knocked it out of the park with their storytelling. This includes games from both the AAA side of the industry as well as titles from the indie game scene.
But this time around, our predictions led to the long-awaited return of a beloved horror franchise, Silent Hill F. After the success of the Silent Hill 2 remake, fans still had gripes about Konami tackling a new game in the series.
But it was all wiped away with the involvement of prolific writer Ryukishi07. He lent his incredible narrative skills to create one of the best entries in the series so far.
Best Art Direction – Hades II
Lots of familiar faces from other categories can be seen in the award for best art direction category. Almost all of them are equally deserving of this award, but as per our predictions, there is only one game that steals this one away, and that is Hades II.
The sequel title to one of the best indie rougelikes of the generation, following up the story with the daughter of Hades, Melinoe. Hades II does not really change what was already done and dusted with the first game, in terms of art. This is a great thing because why change perfection when one can build and polish it further?
Best Score and Music – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Score and Music are always a hard award category to point out every year. Especially because there are so many great games with talented composers working behind them. But this year, our predictions are directed towards one clear owner.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 came out of nowhere and stole everyone’s breath away. It has incredible visuals and revitalizes the turn-based combat for the mainstream audience. Most importantly, it has some of the best music ever seen in the indie game scene.
What’s surprising is that the composer is completely new to the video game industry and was hired due to his incredible samples, which he shared online.
Best Audio Design – Battlefield 6
People often get mixed up between the best score and music and the best audio design categories. But there is a clear distinction between the two. This particular category centers around the best in-game sounds and atmosphere design.
According to our predictions, Battlefield 6 is the clear winner in this category at this year’s Game Awards. It’s not like this is anything new for the franchise, as Battlefield has always been that one first-person shooter title that perfectly emulates the atmosphere of a battlefield.
It just renews that old assurance with a solid new entry. Battlefield 6 is one of the biggest FPS comebacks this year, with some incredible sound design.
Best Performance – Konatsu Kato (Silent Hill F)
Every year, video games are advancing more and more, blending into other media. These days, some of the best voice actors and actors in general are involved with high-budget projects.
Something such as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 also proves that independent games with ambition can get big names in their cast as well. But we want to divert your attention to a different performance this year.
Konatsu Kato, who plays the role of high schooler Hinako, has outdone herself in Silent Hill F. If you have played the game already, then you will agree with our decision to award her the best performance this year.
Innovation In Accessibility – South of Midnight
This is an interesting award category and one that we believe absolutely deserves to be up there, along with awards such as Game of the Year and Best Direction, in terms of respect.
Innovation in Accessibility is a category that highlights and awards games that innovate in the tried and true genre designs and conceptions. For our pick, we chose South of Midnight, which will sadly go down as one of the lesser-known games this year.
But it definitely does a lot to push the genre forward, separating itself from the usual route of a third-person action-adventure game, both visually as well as mechanically.
Games For Impact – Wanderstop
Games for impact is another category that will be equally overlooked by the majority of casual AAA gaming audience. But it will be loved by its niche audience and form its own small community.
The category this year houses some really great indie titles, which makes us wish we could give almost all of them the accolades. But as per our predictions, this one goes to Wanderstop, created by Ivy Road.
This beautiful and cozy game introduces us to a warrior named Karla Zimonja, who has made the decision to help out a tea shop owner after several losses. She seeks to change the pace of her life, thus making it the perfect fit for the games for impact category winner.
Best Ongoing Game – Marvel Rivals
The Best Ongoing Game award category is everygreeen when it comes to the entries. It’s literally in the title itself, awarding the best games with strong consecutive support and presence throughout the years.
For our bet, Marvel Rivals takes this one for the year. The hero shooter genre really needed to break new ground, and in 2024, NetEase teaming up with Marvel has brought us one of the best experiences in the genre.
Marvel Rivals fans are currently experiencing a strong year with still new and frequent updates. These bring in new characters from the greater Marvel comics pantheon as well as new skins and gameplay modes.
Best Community Support – No Man’s Sky
Nothing much to be said about deciding on the best community support award other than the fact that we get to see some familiar faces. But for our predictions, we are betting on No Man’s Sky to win this year.
Compared to all the other games in the category, No Man’s Sky continues to shine through an absolutely amazing year with an amazing community. Looking back at it, players who were there from the beginning of the franchise’s lowest point, we can definitely see how far things have come.
Best Independent Game – Hollow Knight: Silksong
This category is something people have been waiting for a while, because this is finally the year of Silksong. A game that had toyed with the hearts of its fans for years before it could finally be released.
The highly anticipated sequel to the 2D metroidvania game, finally released after years of waiting. It did so with flying colors and almost a bit too much hype, breaking digital storefronts.
For our predictions, Hollow Knight: Silksong definitely wins the best independent game of the year award.
Best Indie Debut Game – Dispatch
Our race to find out some of the best indie titles does not just end there, as the very next category is about crowning the best debut game in the indie scene. While this one should automatically go to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, just because it embodies the very soul of the award.
We are actually going to give it to another newcomer, which also deserves its spot in this list, and that is Dispatch. The Telltale crew makes their big comeback in this superhero workplace action-comedy, teaming up with the incredible people at Critical Role.
The game deserved many more nominations, but it unfortunately got isolated to a few this year. We thought it best to crown Dispatch the best indie debut game of the year.
Best Mobile Game – Umamusume: Pretty Derby
This is an award category that has been dominated by MiHoyo titles for a while. Luring in fans of anime and open-world adventure games with pretty visuals and a variety of characters. But this is the year of Umamusume: Pretty Derby.
This game is not a new release, but it debuted for the first time overseas and took fans by storm. It does not boast an incredibly groundbreaking open world or visuals. But what it offers is an unforgettable appreciation for a pretty and colorful cast of horse girls who work their way up to derby races.
According to our predictions, Umamusume: Pretty Derby should be awarded the best mobile game of the year.
Best VR/AR Game – Ghost Town
Gaming hardware is evolving at a pretty fast pace. Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality feel like they were just introduced recently, but it has already been around for a decade. The initial years were not the best, but now we are at a position where a lot of great games are being released for this hardware.
The only real shame is that not everyone will get to experience VR games because not everyone owns them. But regardless, these games are well deserving of their own category, and for this year, our predictions are that Ghost Town will take the award for best VR/AR game.
Best Action Game – Ninja Gaiden 4
The best action game category will always have titles that are widely played and are some of the best releases of the year. This year is no different, with heavy hitters such as Doom: The Dark Ages and Hades II.
But we have to hand over the crown to Ninja Gaiden 4. It is an entry that marks a worthy comeback for one of Koei Tecmo’s flagship hack-and-slash franchises. Collaborating with Platinum Games to throw it back for real, after a decade.
Best Action/Adventure Game – Split Fiction
A category that constantly gets mixed up with the best action game award. The difference is that the former simply chooses to isolate the action-packed aspects of the game. Meanwhile action/adventure game award tries to crown games that are able to deliver in the world building and exploration, along with the aspects of action.
This year, Split Fiction does exactly that, continuing the wild rides of amazing co-op games from Hazelight Studios. The former game of the year award-winning studio doesn’t seem to have breaks when it comes to releasing banger after banger.
Best RPG – Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
Role-playing-games have become one of the big genres in gaming in recent years. It used to be considered one of the niches because of its rudimentary and archaic game designs. But over the years, people have come to appreciate them more and more.
That same level of appreciation is what brought us some of the best RPGs in this category. While there are some heavy hitters to choose from, we have decided to hand over the crown to Kingdom Come: Deliverance II.
The medieval RPG builds upon what made the original Kingdom Come such a great experience for many. If you are a fan of this genre, then make sure not to miss out on it this year.
Best Fighting Game – Fatal Fury: City Of The Wolves
Every year, there is a gripe from the fighting game community regarding this category. Because there’s usually an outlier entry or more that is not traditionally a fighting game release.
But it makes sense if the reason is still to fill a spot. This year, it seems to be centered around actual fighting games mostly. Although not all of them or full releases, except one, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves.
This title marks the return of SNK’s flagship fighting game title that used to go head-to-head against heavy hitters such as Street Fighter II. It even paved the way for series such as King of Fighters. So we definitely have to crown it the best fighting game of the year.
Best Family Game – Donkey Kong Bananza
Best family game is a category that is dominated by Nintendo titles every year, and many fans joke about it as being the best Nintendo game category. This year we were graced by a new Nintendo Hardware, a proper sequel to the Nintendo Switch.
Along with it came some new, amazing game entries, one of which is a new Donkey Kong game. For the first time in years, we are getting a proper 3rd-person Donkey Kong title that was developed by the minds behind Super Mario Galaxy.
According to our predictions, this game is a clear winner of the best family game award. Not only did it revive the Donkey Kong 3D IP, but it also, in actual Nintendo fashion, it invented new mechanics such as digging through levels.
Best Sim/Strategy Game – The Alters
We were talking about RPGs being some of the lesser-played niche genres of games ever, what if we go beyond in sub-genre? The Best Sim/Strategy game award covers just those types of games. Sim and Strategy games have their own fanbase, but it’s very limited in size.
These games often have a very dedicated community beyond casual gamers. As per our predictions this year, The Alters by indie 11 Bit Studio takes the award for the category this year. It brings an interesting premise beyond just city management sims that are out there in abundance.
Best Sports/Racing Game – Sonic Racing: Crossworld
Racing games and Sports games have to share a category, unfortunately, even though many agree that they should be separate categories. However, it does make sense when you take into consideration that there would be very few games in each category if they were apart.
Regardless, this year produced some really strong contenders in the racing game side of titles. Aside from the usual position of a new F1 game, a new Mario Kart was in direct competition with a Sonic racing title.
For our money, we are going to bet on Sonic Racing: Crossworlds taking away this award. It is one of the best entries in the long lineup of Sonic racing games, with a number of guests. The game is a breath of fresh air among all the sim racers and Nintendo titles.
Best Multiplayer Game – Peak
Yeah, you read that right, we are putting Peak as our choice for the best multiplayer game of the year in a sea of popular titles. This is in no way shooting down the other games. Titles such as Elden Ring, Nightreign, and Split Fiction prove that this year has produced some great games.
But Peak just edges them out with pure whimsical multiplayer fun. It is the perfect culmination of what multiplayer games such as Lethal Company and R.E.P.O. have been building up to.
Best Adaptation – Last of Us Season 2
Best game adaptation is a very controversial category, as it houses some entries that are really not to everyone’s liking. Opinions on most of the shows this year are completely divided into two different groups.
On one side, there are people who have no idea about the games, so they enjoyed what they consumed. On the other hand, the passionate fans hated the changes in the adaptations. As per our predictions, The Last of Us Season 2 is the one getting out of this unscathed, as it already had an existing place in the majority of fans’ hearts.
Most Anticipated Game – Resident Evil Requiem
Yeah, it is not news that Resident Evil fans are considered super spoiled among all the other Capcom fanbases. They are always getting their game releases in most years; meanwhile, the other IPs lie dormant.
But let’s not kid ourselves, everyone has been waiting for the ninth mainline entry into Resident Evil that furthers the saga. After the comeback with two back-to-back amazing titles, we can definitely crown Resident Evil Requiem as our most anticipated game this year.
Content Creator Of The Year – Sakura Miko
This is another dividing aspect of the Game Awards show. Most people who only care about their own games will not bother with the content creator of the year category. But for those who specifically follow streamers, this is a big deal and point for arguments.
We will leave the latter to the dedicated fans, as for our predictions, we are going to choose Sakura Miko as our content creator of the year. It is not like Vtubers have not been getting recognition in recent years, some even winning awards. But it would be a treat to see Sakura Miko’s acceptance speech if she wins this one.
Best Esports Game – Counter Strike 2
Coming back to this category feels like deja vu to a lot of us, as most of the contenders feel unchanged. We have the usual suspects from MOBA, as well as the shooter genres. But for our money, Counter-Strike 2 has had an amazing year.
This time, it’s not according to predictions, but we genuinely feel that the game should take home the award for the best esports title. While that might give us an excuse to believe that Valve might come up on stage to finally announce that one fabled third entry for the Half-Life franchise.
Best Esports Athlete – Kakeru Watanabe
First-person shooters and MOBAs as nominations are mainstays for this particular category every year. This is not to downplay their presence; these are some of the best esports athletes who excel in their respective games on the world-class platforms.
But this year, we feel it’s time to hand over the crown to someone from the lesser-known esports genres, such as Fighting Games. This may come as obnoxious because fighting games aren’t really unknown these days, but such wasn’t the case a few years back.
For our money, Kakeru should take this award out of respect for having an absolutely marvelous run in his Street Fighter 6 career while also having to retire untimely.
Best Esports Team – Gen.G
Another yearly category that hovers over the usual type of games is Best Esports Team. Most of the gamers reading this list will not be interested in checking out who wins this category. But for people who are deep into the competitive side of gaming, this means a lot.
We are predicting that Gen.G is going to take away the award this year for their incredible performance in League of Legends Worlds 2025.
Game Of The Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Now for the main course, what everyone waits for every year, so that they can finally win that one social media argument to determine the best video game taste of the year. We are, of course, speaking about the Game of the Year.
According to our predictions, there is one clear winner, and this is Sandfall Interactive’s Cair Obscur: Expedition 33. The story of how this game was created and how it brought in so many people to actually try out turn-based combat games again is something that will be talked about for years to come.
In a time when the industry is experiencing some of the most gruesome layoffs, Sandfall’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was released as a ray of hope that great games can still be produced without leaving anyone behind.
