Everything you need to know about The Game Awards

The Game Awards 2025 , the gala that has rightfully earned the nickname "the Oscars of video games," is just around the corner . This year's ceremony features several significant changes, a highly competitive list of nominees, and the feeling that the Game of the Year winner could be a game-changer.

In addition to the awards ceremony, Geoff Keighley's event has become the industry's premier showcase for announcements, trailers, and world premieres . This year's edition will feature new releases, updates on highly anticipated titles, and a few surprises, with a particular focus on developments for players in Spain and the rest of Europe.

Date, times and where to watch The Game Awards 2025

This year's edition will be held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles , a venue that has become the gala's home. The organizers have scheduled the event for the early hours of Thursday, December 11th to Friday, December 12th, 2025 (European time), which means staying up late if you want to watch it live from Spain.

In mainland Spain, the main ceremony will begin around 02:00 AM on December 12th , with a pre-show starting about 30 minutes earlier. Other official communications have used 01:30 AM CET as a reference point for the start time, so it's advisable to keep this slight variation in mind and tune in with some extra time.

In the case of Spain (Peninsula and Balearic Islands) , the key time is around 01:30-02:00 AM, while in the Canary Islands it will be from 01:30-00:00 AM. In the rest of Central Europe, the reference point is the same as in mainland Spain, since they share the CET time zone, so countries like France, Germany, and Italy will follow the gala in the same time frame.

The main event will last approximately three hours , not including the pre-show, so those planning to watch from Spain or Europe should keep in mind that it will continue well into the early hours of the morning. For those who prefer to sleep, most European video game media outlets will offer recaps at dawn with all the announcements.

For the first time, The Game Awards 2025 will be available on Amazon Prime Video , in addition to the traditional official channels on YouTube and Twitch , as well as social media platforms like X, Instagram , TikTok , and Facebook . This expansion of streaming options aims to bring the ceremony to an even wider audience, including those who primarily consume content on paid streaming services.

How the voting works and until when can you vote?

The system for deciding the winners of The Game Awards 2025 maintains the hybrid model of previous years. The main weight rests with a specialized international jury made up of media and experts, who contribute 90% of the votes, while the general public contributes the remaining 10% through online voting.

To participate from Spain or any other European country, simply visit The Game Awards website , register, and select your favorite titles in each category. This vote alone won't determine the outcome, but it can influence the results in high-profile awards such as Game of the Year, Best Director, and Best Indie Game , among others.

The organization has set a clear deadline: public voting closes on December 10 at 6:00 pm PT / 9:00 pm ET . Translated to Spanish peninsular time, this places the closing time in the early hours of December 11 , so those who wish to vote from Europe should do so no later than the 10th.

This system aims to balance the critical perspective of the press with the opinions of the players, while preventing the massive popularity of a franchise from completely distorting the results. For many specific categories, the jury's vote remains decisive.

The nominees for Game of the Year (GOTY 2025)

The Game of the Year category once again brings together six titles that have defined the recent release calendar. All arrive at the ceremony with strong critical and public acclaim, and several have already garnered previous awards. The list of nominees for GOTY 2025 is as follows:

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
• Donkey Kong Bananza
• Hades II
• Hollow Knight: Silksong
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II

The game generating the most buzz is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 , a highly personal RPG developed by the French studio Sandfall Interactive. The title not only leads this year's nominations but has also garnered Game of the Year awards at other events, such as the Golden Joystick Awards 2025 and the Thailand Game Show 2025 , in addition to being chosen as Game of the Year by Time Magazine.

In the realm of high-impact indie games , Hollow Knight: Silksong is one of the titles that stirs the most passion among European gamers. The sequel, developed by Team Cherry, has been described as an incredibly challenging Metroidvania , meticulously crafted in every aspect, from level design to soundtrack. Its presence in the main category confirms the growing importance of independent studios in the current gaming landscape.

Meanwhile, Hades II repeats the formula of Supergiant Games' first title, taking the roguelite genre to a new level of refinement, while Death Stranding 2: On the Beach , from Kojima Productions, arrives as a sequel that expands upon the original concept with greater thematic and audiovisual ambition. Both are competing not only for Game of the Year, but also in categories such as Best Art Direction and Best Original Score.

The list is completed by Donkey Kong Bananza , which has served as a calling card for Nintendo Switch 2 without needing a new three-dimensional Mario , and by Kingdom Come: Deliverance II , a historical RPG that has once again attracted attention for its realistic approach to 15th-century Bohemia and for the importance of the player's decisions in building the narrative.

Distribution of nominations and most outstanding editors

Looking at the overall nominations for The Game Awards 2025 , Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is once again the clear frontrunner . Sandfall Interactive's title garnered 12 nominations , making it the most nominated game in a single edition of the awards ceremony since its inception—a milestone that positions it as a strong favorite to take home several awards.

Following closely behind are titles like Death Stranding 2: On the Beach and Ghost of Yōtei , which appear with seven or eight nominations each in various rankings , demonstrating that the second half of the year has been particularly busy with high-caliber productions. Close behind are Hades II , with around six nominations , Hollow Knight: Silksong , with five, and the enigmatic Split Fiction , which garnered around four nominations in categories such as Best Direction, Best Narrative, and Best Family Game.

At the corporate level, Sony Interactive Entertainment is the publisher with the strongest presence on stage, boasting 19 nominations across its various titles. Kepler Interactive follows closely with 13 nominations , while giants like Electronic Arts and Microsoft trail behind with 10 nominations each.

In the Nintendo arena, Donkey Kong Bananza clearly takes center stage , nominated for both Game of the Year and Best Family Game , and sharing the spotlight with Mario Kart World in the family game and racing categories. While not reaching the scale of other publishers, the Japanese company maintains a strong presence in segments closely aligned with its traditional audience.

In the case of Spain and Europe, many of these titles have been very present in the media conversation and in the sales lists, especially Clair Obscur, Hades II, Silksong and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II , which frequently appear in lists of the best of the year prepared by European and Latin American media.

Main categories and games most present at the gala

Beyond the Game of the Year award, The Game Awards 2025 features a long list of categories covering virtually every genre and format in the industry. The Best Director category includes both big-budget projects and highly distinctive independent titles, such as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Death Stranding 2, Ghost of Yōtei, Hades II, and the narrative approach of Split Fiction , which has garnered attention for its blend of traditional structures and player choices.

The Best Narrative category features a diverse range of stories, from the universe built around Clair Obscur to the emotional journey of Death Stranding 2 , alongside titles like Ghost of Yōtei, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, and Silent Hill f . The latter, with its approach to psychological horror, has generated considerable debate among European survival horror fans.

The Best Art Direction category focuses on the most distinctive visual features of the year: Clair Obscur, Death Stranding 2, Ghost of Yōtei, Hades II and the animated world of Hollow Knight: Silksong all coincide there, recognized for graphic work that goes beyond technical muscle and opts for a strong aesthetic identity.

In the Best Soundtrack category , a very similar group appears again, with special mention going to Silksong, Hades II, and Clair Obscur , whose compositions have been described as some of the most memorable aspects of the experience. Rounding out the list are the scores for Ghost of Yōtei and Death Stranding 2 , which maintain the atmospheric and emotional style that characterized their previous installments and their creators.

The Best Audio Design award introduces proposals of very different tones, from the sonic and realistic chaos of Battlefield 6 to the detailed work in Clair Obscur, Death Stranding 2, Ghost of Yōtei and the unsettling Silent Hill f , where sound is used as a central tool to generate tension and discomfort.

Indie games, social impact, and active games

One of the categories that generates the most buzz among European gamers is Best Indie Game . This year, the category includes titles such as Absolum, Ball x Pit, Blue Prince, Clair Obscur, Hades II, and Hollow Knight: Silksong . It's striking that some of these projects, despite being independent, are also competing in the main categories, demonstrating the level of ambition and quality they've achieved.

The Best Indie Debut category includes titles like Blue Prince, Clair Obscur, Despelote, Dispatch, and Megabonk , all recognized for their originality. Several have had a particularly strong presence in Europe and Latin America, both through their PC releases and distribution on current-generation consoles.

The award for Game with Greatest Impact focuses on works with marked social or emotional content: Consume Me, Despelote, Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, South of Midnight and Wanderstop offer experiences that invite reflection on topics ranging from personal development to concrete social realities, moving away from a purely playful approach.

In the realm of games that remain active with constant updates, Best Active Game brings together well-known titles: Final Fantasy XIV, Fortnite , Helldivers 2, Marvel Rivals , and No Man's Sky . The Most Community Supported Game category once again includes Fortnite, Final Fantasy XIV, Helldivers 2 , and No Man's Sky , in addition to Baldur's Gate 3 , which continues to reap the rewards of its success last year.

All of this reflects a clear trend: the industry continues to focus on long-term projects that remain at the forefront thanks to expansions, updates, and seasons , something that fits very well with the gaming habits of many European and Spanish communities.

Genres, adaptations, and most anticipated game

In the pure genre categories, a few constants stand out. For Best Action Game, Battlefield 6, Doom : The Dark Ages, Hades II, Ninja Gaiden 4 , and Shinobi: Art of Vengeance appear —a list that mixes massive shooters , reinterpretations of classic sagas, and games with a strong melee combat component.

The award for Best Action-Adventure Game will be contested between Death Stranding 2, Ghost of Yōtei, Indiana Jones and the Grand Circle, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and Split Fiction —titles that share elements of exploration, narrative, and combat, but with very different sensibilities. Several of them will be especially popular with European audiences, both for their settings and the track record of the studios behind them.

The Best RPG category includes titles like Avowed, Clair Obscur, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, The Outer Worlds 2, and Monster Hunter Wilds , ranging from classic Western RPGs to cooperative hunting games. For Spanish gamers who enjoy long RPG campaigns, this is probably one of the most comprehensive categories of the year.

The Best Family Game award will be contested by, among others, Donkey Kong Bananza, LEGO Party!, LEGO Voyagers, Mario Kart World, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds , and Split Fiction —a group where Nintendo and its more accessible franchises have a clear presence. These are titles designed to be played with others and shared in the living room.

In the sports and driving segment, EA Sports FC 26, F1 25, Mario Kart World, Rematch and Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds aspire to be recognized as Best Sports and Driving Game , while strategy and simulation lovers will be watching the battle between The Alters, Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles, Jurassic World Evolution 3, Sid Meier's Civilization VII, Tempest Rising and Two Point Museum with a magnifying glass.

Beyond games, the Best Adaptation category recognizes audiovisual productions based on video games, with nominees such as A Minecraft Movie, Devil May Cry, The Last of Us : Season 2, Splinter Cell: Deathwatch , and Until Dawn . It reflects how the video game universe is expanding into film and television, something closely followed in Europe on streaming platforms.

The Most Anticipated Game category includes titles that have been making headlines for some time: GTA VI , Marvel's Wolverine, Resident Evil Requiem, The Witcher IV , and 007: First Light . While not all of them will necessarily be present with new material at the awards ceremony, the anticipation surrounding them is evident and very high, especially in the European market.

Esports, content creators, and virtual reality

The competitive dimension of the industry also has its place at The Game Awards 2025. The Best Esports Game category features a group of regulars: Counter-Strike 2, DOTA 2, League of Legends, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang , and Valorant , all with strong communities in Europe and a prominent presence in professional leagues.

The Best Esports Player and Best Esports Team categories feature well-known names for those who follow the competitive scene: individual talents like brawk, Chovy, f0rsakeN, Kakeru, MenaRD, and Zyw0o , and organizations like Gen.G, NRG, Team Falcons, Team Liquid PH , and Team Vitality . Many of them have a considerable fan base in European countries, including Spain.

The Best Content Creator of the Year award recognizes the work of profiles that have stood out for their impact on social media and video platforms, such as Caedrel, Kai Cenat, MoistCr1TiKaL, Sakura Miko , and The Burnt Peanut . While not all of them have a massive presence in the Spanish-speaking world, their global influence on the video game conversation is undeniable.

The Best Virtual or Augmented Reality Game category brings together experiences designed specifically for these devices, including Alien Rogue Incursion, Arken Age, Ghost Town, Marvel Deadpool VR , and The Midnight Walk . Although VR remains a niche market compared to traditional gaming, Europe is one of the regions where this format is being most actively explored.

Meanwhile, the Best Mobile Game category reflects the importance of gaming on smartphones, with nominees such as Destiny: Rising, Persona 5: The Phantom X, Sonic Rumble, Umamusume: Pretty Derby and Wuthering Waves , many of them with staggered releases across Asia, America and Europe.

Games and announcements already confirmed for the gala

Beyond the awards, much of the interest in The Game Awards 2025 lies in the announcements and trailers that will be presented throughout the evening. Among the titles already confirmed is Exodus , Archetype Entertainment's first major project, which will return to the stage where it was first revealed.

This sci-fi action RPG has been described by some as a spiritual successor to Mass Effect . Its development involves veterans from BioWare, Naughty Dog, and 343 Industries , and the game features actor Matthew McConaughey in its cast. A new trailer is expected that will delve deeper into its universe and the impact of the player's choices.

Another confirmed presence is the new project from Neon Giant , the studio behind The Ascent . Their publisher, Krafton (known for PUBG: Battlegrounds and inZOI ), has announced that they will officially unveil their next game during the event, although specific details about the genre and setting are currently unknown.

These announcements are in addition to the promise of several new features related to already known franchises , as well as final trailers for games that will arrive in the first months of 2026. The organizers have hinted that this year's edition will have a special focus on titles with a strong presence on consoles and PC, which implies a direct impact for the European audience.

In the realm of mysterious announcements , one of the most talked-about elements has been the installation of a promotional statue in the Mojave Desert , surrounded by skulls, bones, and tentacles, which glows red at night. Geoff Keighley shared images on social media without clarifying which game it belongs to, only denying that it's a new Diablo or God of War . Everything suggests that its true identity will be revealed during the event.

Rumors, predictions, and almost certain absences

As with every year, the lead-up to The Game Awards is rife with rumors and speculation about potential announcements. One of the most talked-about rumors concerns Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake . Although several sources point to a release before April 2026, and a specific date in January has even been mentioned, the franchise's official account has denied that it will be shown at the awards ceremony, leaving everyone wondering when and how its return will be officially announced.

On the other hand, companies like Capcom maintain a very close relationship with the events organized by Geoff Keighley. It wouldn't be surprising if this year's edition saw the confirmation of release dates for projects presented in previous years, such as Onimusha: Way of the Sword or Pragmata , which are slated for 2026 and have been leaving clues in age rating boards.

There has also been speculation about the possibility of seeing new material from Resident Evil Requiem , scheduled for February, or some news related to Monster Hunter Wilds , which has a large fanbase in Europe. However, its presence at the event has not yet been confirmed, so it's best to temper expectations.

In the realm of more cryptic projects, Remedy Entertainment recently registered the trademark Control Resonant , very likely connected to the Control universe . Given that the studio has used The Game Awards in the past to unveil titles like Alan Wake 2 , many see this year's event as a potential showcase for the Finnish studio's next big release.

On the less likely side, names like Grand Theft Auto VI or The Witcher IV have been mentioned in predictions more out of wishful thinking than actual evidence. Rockstar Games usually sets its own independent schedule of major awards shows, and CD Projekt RED has already announced that it will not be returning to The Game Awards this year with the new Witcher installment . It's also unrealistic to expect a formal announcement of Half-Life 3 , although there's always room for some documentary content or special material related to the series.

Special promotions and the mystery game from the Epic Games Store

The media buzz surrounding The Game Awards 2025 is also being leveraged beyond the event itself. A prime example is the Epic Games Store , which has scheduled a free mystery game to coincide with the week of the awards ceremony, accompanied by a message directly linking this gift to the awards.

The digital store has already announced two more classic free titles for these days, but the real attention is being drawn to a third surprise, described as a game related to the list of nominees or even one of the winners . It hasn't been specified whether it will be a title from the main category or secondary categories, but the timing with the awards ceremony suggests a well-thought-out promotional campaign.

The mystery will be solved in the early hours of December 11th at 02:00 AM in Spain (around 8:00 PM on the US East Coast), practically at the same time as the ceremony begins. This way, those watching the awards from Europe will, in theory, be able to add the game to their library while watching the announcements and the awards ceremony live.

These kinds of campaigns reinforce the feeling that The Game Awards is no longer just an awards ceremony, but a global event that generates promotions, offers, and special deals in digital stores worldwide. For PC gamers in Spain and the rest of Europe, keeping an eye on these developments could mean getting your hands on a standout title at no extra cost.

Meanwhile, other platforms and subscription services are using the proximity of the awards ceremony to highlight the nominated games included in their catalogs, from services like Game Pass to premium console catalogs , taking advantage of the current media attention.

The Game Awards 2025 promises to be a particularly content-packed edition: a gala that can be easily streamed in Spain and Europe , with a voting system that combines jury and public votes, a list of nominees dominated by Clair Obscurity: Expedition 33, Death Stranding 2, Hades II, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Donkey Kong Bananza , and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II , multiple confirmed announcements and rumors surrounding major franchises, as well as parallel promotions such as the mystery game on the Epic Games Store. Those who decide to stay up late will have a comprehensive showcase of where video games are headed in the coming months.