The Game Awards 2025: Clair Obscur sweeps, big reveals and trailers roundup
The Game Awards 2025 crowned Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as Game of the Year and a record‑breaking winner, taking home more nominations and awards than any title in the show’s history. The ceremony also delivered a heavy slate of new trailers, release dates and updates from major studios across the industry.
Highlights from the show ranged from indie triumphs to blockbuster reveals. Alongside Clair Obscur’s sweep, audiences saw new footage and announcements for both established franchises and fresh projects — many of which will shape 2026 and beyond for players and developers alike.
Major winners
- Game of the Year: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Game Direction / Narrative / Art / Score / Best RPG / Best Debut Indie / Best Score & Music / Best Art Direction / Best Narrative: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (multiple major awards)
- Best Action Game: Hades II
- Best Action/Adventure: Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Indie: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Multiplayer: Arc Raiders
- Players’ Voice: Wuthering Waves
- Best Ongoing Game: No Man’s Sky
- Best Performance: Jennifer English — Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Other category winners: Donkey Kong Bananza (Best Family), Doom: The Dark Ages (Innovation in Accessibility), Counter‑Strike 2 (Best Esports Game), Umamasume: Pretty Derby (Best Mobile), Mario Kart World (Best Sports/Racing)
Notable reveals and trailers
- Capcom’s Pragmata — release date announced for April 24, 2026 (Steam, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2).
- Jonathan Blow’s Order of the Sinking Star — 2026 Steam window; massive puzzle epic with ~1,400 puzzles.
- Larian Studios returns to Divinity with a new entry, Divinity (no release window yet).
- Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis (2026) and Tomb Raider: Catalyst (2027) — remakes and new mainline entry from Crystal Dynamics.
- Remedy’s Control: Resonant — melee‑driven sequel set in a warped Manhattan, arriving in 2026 on PC/Mac/PS5/Xbox Series X/S.
- Exodus — new trailer and delay to early 2027; Matthew McConaughey joins the cast.
- Bad Robot’s 4:LOOP — Mike Booth’s four‑player roguelike co‑op shooter, coming to PS5 and PC (Sony publishing).
- Frictional’s Ontos — new philosophical horror starring Stellan Skarsgård, slated for next year on PC/PlayStation/Xbox.
- Housemarque’s Saros — brief delay to April 30; pre‑orders open.
- Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic — new action RPG from Casey Hudson; Star Wars: Galactic Racer — podracing game from Fuse Games (2026).
- Many more trailers: Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight (May 29, 2026), Control Resonant, Divinity, Coven of the Chicken Foot, Ontos, 4:LOOP, Pragmata, and others.
Trends and takeaways
The Game Awards 2025 underscored a few clear trends: ambitious indie experiences continuing to steal the spotlight, major studios leaning into both remakes and new‑IP ambition, and cross‑media pushes (game tie‑ins with TV and film talent). The show also highlighted the continued appetite for large, cinematic reveals alongside deeper indie showcases.
Clair Obscur’s record haul suggests the industry and critics are rewarding distinct artistic vision and narrative risk. At the same time, the breadth of announcements — from huge puzzle epics to co‑op shooters and AAA remakes — shows the medium’s wide creative range heading into 2026 and beyond.
For full coverage and the complete list of winners and trailers, see our source summary and the event’s trailer playlist.
Discussion: Which Game Awards reveal or winner surprised you most — and which upcoming title are you most excited to play?