The Game Awards 2025, held December 11 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, delivered on its promise of accolades and industry reveals. The standout of the evening was Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 from Sandfall Interactive, which won Game of the Year and also secured a record-breaking nine trophies across categories including Best Game Direction, Best Narrative, Best RPG, Best Art Direction, and Best Score & Music Jennifer English’s performance in the game was also recognized, underscoring the title’s broad impact in both creative and technical dimensions.
Beyond Clair Obscur, other notable winners included Donkey Kong Bananza for Best Family Game, Doom: The Dark Ages for Innovation in Accessibility, and Counter-Strike 2 as Best Esports Game. These awards highlighted both established franchises and new entries that continue to make their mark on the game industry’s landscape.
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Watch in 4K on YouTube: https://t.co/Fk68Tav9up pic.twitter.com/xk5XQPkC1f— Star Wars (@starwars) December 12, 2025
Beyond the awards, the show featured a slate of fresh announcements. Among the most prominent was Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic, introducing a new protagonist and revisiting a beloved era of the franchise. Capcom confirmed Resident Evil: Requiem, with fan favorite character Leon S. Kennedy returning to the series. Square Enix revealed two new Tomb Raider projects, while Remedy showcased Control: Resonant, a follow-up to its acclaimed supernatural thriller. Other announcements included Mega Man: Dual Override, a new Divinity installment by Larian Studios, and a Diablo IV expansion featuring the Paladin class.
The ceremony also spotlighted indie creativity through the Day of the Devs showcase, continuing its tradition of highlighting smaller studios alongside blockbuster premieres.
In terms of broader trends, the awards underscored the growing prominence of narrative-driven, stylistically bold titles. The impact of Clair Obscur reflected the appetite for games that combine the magic of mechanical innovation with strong artistic identity. Meanwhile, the announcements leaned heavily on franchise continuity, suggesting that while new IPs are breaking through, established series remain central to publishers’ strategies.
In addition to the scheduled premieres, the ceremony featured several surprise reveals. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach resurfaced with a new trailer, confirming its release window after years of speculation. Hades II also appeared with new gameplay footage, showing off the growing appeal for roguelikes in mainstream gaming.
Mic drop! #StreetFighterMovie cast brings a sneak peek to #TheGameAwards! Hits theaters everywhere October 16, 2026. @street_fighter pic.twitter.com/pqLMheZwIh
— The Game Awards (@thegameawards) December 12, 2025
The show also leaned hard into pop culture overlaps, which has become a signature of the event in recent years, with appearances from celebrities outside the gaming domain. Miss Piggy joined the stage in a fun segment, continuing the tradition of crossovers between gaming and broader entertainment culture. Musical performances and cameos amplified the event’s positioning as both an industry awards show and a cultural draw. One of the evening’s surprise crossovers was the debut trailer for the upcoming Street Fighter movie, with the full cast, including Jason Momoa as Blanka and Noah Centineo as Ken, appearing on stage to present an award and confirm the film’s release for October 2026.
In terms of media crossover and mass appeal, one of the evening’s unexpected crossovers was the debut trailer for the upcoming Street Fighter movie, with the full cast, including Jason Momoa as Blanka and Noah Centineo as Ken, appearing on stage to present an award and confirm the film’s release for October 2026.
Together, these elements highlighted how The Game Awards has evolved into a hybrid of industry recognition and entertainment showcase, where unexpected reveals and familiar pop icons share the spotlight with developers and players.
