Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 leads Game Awards 2025 nominations with broad industry recognition

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 leads this year’s Game Awards with 12 nominations, marking a strong showing for independent and mid-sized studios across the 2025 shortlist.

The role-playing game, developed by Sandfall Interactive in Montpellier, is nominated for Game of the Year and appears prominently in performance, narrative and independent game categories.

The top prize includes six contenders: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Donkey Kong Bananza, Hades 2, Hollow Knight: Silksong and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2.

The awards ceremony will take place on December 11 in Los Angeles, where viewers traditionally tune in not only for the winners but also for new game announcements and first-look trailers.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s recognition includes three nominations for best performance, credited to Ben Starr, Charlie Cox and Jennifer English.

The game’s nomination for best independent game has prompted discussion among some observers due to its support from global studios and publisher Kepler Interactive.

Sony features in the shortlist prominently, with Death Stranding 2 and Ghost of Yōtei receiving seven nominations each. Despite the high profile of Death Stranding 2’s cast, including Norman Reedus, the game did not secure a performance nomination.

Independent projects feature strongly in key categories. Hollow Knight: Silksong, often described by fans as the “GTA 6 of indie games” due to its long-anticipated release, is nominated for Game of the Year. Hades 2 continues the success of Supergiant Games’ 2020 title and appears across multiple categories including best art direction and best score and music.

The Game Awards has faced past criticism for balancing advertising with recognition of developers, though last year’s show received some praise for giving more space to on-stage awards.

This year’s withdrawal of the Future Class initiative has drawn comment from former participants, who previously raised concerns about the programme’s impact.

A full list of nominees is available on the Game Awards website.