The Game Awards 2025: All nominations

https://www.dexerto.com/gaming/the-game-awards-2025-3283873/

James Busby Nov 17, 2025 · 5 mins read
The Game Awards 2025: All nominations
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The Game Awards returns in December with another showcase of the year’s biggest releases and industry highlights. Here are all the nominees in each category.

This year’s lineup is expected to be especially competitive after a packed release schedule across every platform. Major sequels, breakout indies, and long-running live service games are all in the mix.

Our hub will track everything as it happens, including when and where to watch the announcement and every category nominee.

The full The Game Awards 2025 nominations will be announced on November 17 at Noon ET, 9am PT, and 5pm GMT. The results will be streamed live on December 11, 2025.

Where to watch The Game Awards nominations 2025

You can watch the nominations reveal via the official Game Awards YouTube channel.

All categories and nominations

Below are all categories for The Game Awards 2025. These will be updated once nominees are confirmed.

Game of the Year

Recognizing a game that delivers the absolute best experience across all creative and technical fields.

Best Game Direction

Awarded for outstanding creative vision and innovation in game direction and design.

Best Narrative

For outstanding storytelling and narrative development in a game.

Best Art Direction

For outstanding creative and technical achievement in artistic design and animation.

Best Score and Music

For outstanding music, including score, original song, and licensed soundtrack.

Best Audio Design

Recognizing the best in-game audio and sound design.

Best Performance

Award to an individual for voice-over acting, motion capture, or performance capture.

Games for Impact

For a thought-provoking game with a pro-social meaning or message.

Best Ongoing Game

Awarded to a game for outstanding development of ongoing content that evolves the player experience, focusing on titles released in previous award cycles.

Best Community Support

Recognizing outstanding community support and transparency, including social media, updates, and patch activity.

Best Independent Game

Awarded to a game with higher risk tolerance created outside the traditional publisher system.

Best Debut Indie Game

Recognizing an independent studio that shipped its first game in 2025.

Best Mobile Game

For the best game playable on a dedicated mobile device.

Best VR/AR Game

For the best virtual, mixed, or augmented reality experience.

Best Action Game

For the best action-focused combat experience.

Best Action/Adventure Game

For action-adventure games that combine combat, traversal, and puzzle solving.

Best Role Playing Game

For games designed around rich character progression, customization, and role playing, both offline and online.

Best Fighting Game

For a game designed primarily around head-to-head combat.

Best Family Game

For the best game suitable for family play.

Best Sim/Strategy Game

For games focused on simulation, strategy, or turn-based gameplay.

Best Sports/Racing Game

For traditional and non-traditional sports and racing titles.

Best Multiplayer Game

For outstanding online multiplayer design, including co-op and massively multiplayer experiences.

Best Adaptation

Recognizing creative work that authentically adapts a video game to television, film, streaming, comics, podcasts, or other media.

Most Anticipated Game

For the most promising upcoming game scheduled for release after December 11, 2025.