It’s December, and for the gaming industry, that can only mean one thing: The Game Awards 2025 have arrived. The event once again crowned Game of the Year (GOTY), alongside a slate of new trailers and announcements for upcoming games.
The show felt quieter this year, not due to a lack of content, but because one studio stole the entire spotlight. That studio was Sandfall Interactive. With Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, a relatively small indie team didn’t just win – they dominated with their JRPG game. Their sweeping victory didn’t merely secure trophies; it exposed a deeper truth about how studios are currently making games.
Read on for a closer look at what defined The Game Award 2025, why this year’s results stood out, and what they reveal about the current direction of the games industry.
Who Won Game of the Year at The Game Award 2025?
A Historic Sweep from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 took home Game of the Year (GOTY) at The Game Award 2025, marking a historic moment for indie game development. Beyond the top prize, the game set a new milestone by winning nine major awards, the most ever achieved by a single title in The Game Awards’ history.
Awards won by Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 at The Game Award 2025:
- Game of the Year (GOTY)
- Best Game Direction
- Best Narrative
- Best Art Direction
- Best Score & Music
- Best Independent Game
- Best Debut Indie Game
- Best RPG
- Best Performance (Jennifer English as Maelle)
This near-complete sweep cemented Expedition 33 not only as a critical standout but as the defining game of 2025 – capturing the year’s spirit through ambitious storytelling, striking art direction, and deep emotional resonance.
The free major ‘Thank You Update’ is being rolled out from Expedition 33 during The Game Awards 2025:
Why Did Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Win Game of the Year?
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 won Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2025 because it delivered a rare level of creative cohesion, where art, story, and gameplay worked together toward a single vision.
Instead of chasing trends or scale, the team focused on what they wanted to build, creating a unique experience shaped by intention, craft, and belief in their own ideas.
- Clear creative vision: Every element of the game served a single, cohesive idea rather than chasing trends or market formulas.
- Distinctive art direction: Belle Époque–inspired visuals and surreal fantasy created an instantly recognizable and emotionally grounded world.
- Strong narrative focus: The story emphasized human stakes, quiet moments, and meaningful character arcs over spectacle.
- Disciplined game design: Refined JRPG combat without bloated systems or live-service mechanics respected the player’s time.
- Cohesive execution: Built by a small, focused team at Sandfall Interactive, the game maintained consistency from start to finish.
From our perspective at GIANTY, this is a reminder that great games come from clarity of vision and respect for craft, not from size, budget, or market pressure.
Other Major Winners & Categories
While Clair Obscur was the superstar of the night, The Game Awards 2025 recognized excellence across genres and platforms.
Notable winners in The Game Awards 2025
- Best Action Game: Hades II
- Best Action/Adventure: Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Multiplayer: ARC Raiders
- Best Sports/Racing: Mario Kart World
- Best Sim/Strategy: Final Fantasy Tactics — The Ivalice Chronicles
- Best Mobile Game: Umamusume: Pretty Derby
- Best Family Game: Donkey Kong Bananza
- Innovation in Accessibility: Doom: The Dark Ages
- Best Ongoing Game: No Man’s Sky
- Most Anticipated Game: Grand Theft Auto VI
Key Takeaways
This year’s awards showcased multiple trends that reflect where the industry is headed:
Indie games can compete at the highest level, no longer confined to niche categories, proving that artistic vision and craft can outperform budget size.
A wider range of experiences is being rewarded: from family-friendly games to hardcore RPGs, and from mobile titles to VR/AR experiences, the winners reflected a broad and inclusive view of what gaming can be.
Narrative and art are central again: Storytelling, performance, and concept art cohesion emerged as defining factors behind award winners, outweighing pure technical spectacle or scale.
Global creative perspectives are rising: game development is increasingly international, with studios and players worldwide shaping the medium.
Biggest Announcements and Reveals in 2026
While The Game Awards 2025 was defined by its winners, the event also set the stage for what’s coming next. From long-awaited sequels to bold new IPs, the announcements pointed toward a 2026 shaped by bigger worlds, stronger narratives, and more ambitious production values.
Major Game Reveals to Watch
- Grand Theft Auto VI – Named Most Anticipated Game, Rockstar’s next release remains the industry’s biggest gravity well heading into 2026.
- Resident Evil: Requiem from Capcom unveiled a darker, more psychological chapter, signaling another evolution of the franchise.
- Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic – A new entry inspired by classic RPG storytelling, expanding the Star Wars universe in a more narrative-driven direction.
- Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis / Catalyst – Two new Lara Croft projects revealed, showing Crystal Dynamics’ long-term commitment to the franchise.
- Ace Combat 8 – Confirmed for 2026, bringing modernized aerial combat and next-gen visuals.
- Divinity: The Hellstone – Larian Studios teased a return to deep RPG systems and reactive storytelling.
Several announcements highlighted studios investing in original worlds rather than relying solely on established franchises, considered as a signal that creative risk is becoming viable again at scale.
What These Reveals Tell Us About 2026
- Narrative-driven games are back at the center, not just as side features but as core selling points. Growth in community-driven content and player-powered worlds, amplified by AI tools and platforms.
- Franchises are evolving, not restarting, focusing on depth and tone over pure spectacle.
- Player expectations are shifting toward meaningful experiences rather than endless live-service loops.
- Follow-ups and DLCs for major TGA winners, including expansions around Clair Obscur’s universe.
- Continued prominence of AI-assisted game creation, LLM-driven narratives, and procedural storytelling as technologies evolve.
- Rising esports ecosystems and creator economies shaping entertainment beyond traditional titles.
A Different Signal from The Game Award 2025
Beyond winners and announcements, The Game Awards 2025 revealed something quieter but more important: how games are being judged has matured.
- Volume and monetization are no longer the main signals of success. Awards are moving away from rewarding content quantity, retention tactics, and aggressive monetization.
- Strong decisions matter more than endless expansion. Games that avoid inflated scope and trend-chasing stand out over those that try to do everything.
- Creative leadership is being judged by experience, not metrics. Studios are rewarded for focus, confidence, and restraint rather than production output alone.
For teams planning ahead, the real takeaway isn’t about copying what won, but you should learn when to stop, commit, and ship something that stands on its own.
The Bigger Message
As 2025 comes to a close, one message stands out: players and critics are increasingly drawn to games with clear identity, meaningful intent, and creative confidence. Looking ahead to 2026, the studios best positioned to lead are not those with the largest scale, but those willing to stand firmly behind what they create.
In that sense, The Game Award 2025 didn’t simply celebrate the year’s best games – it revealed the foundation on which the next generation of great games will be built.
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