The Game Awards 2025: When to watch, streaming info, and nominations - can Expedition 33 secure Game of the Year?

As anticipation for The Game Awards 2025 reaches a fever pitch, the annual celebration of global gaming excellence prepares to deliver another evening of premieres, industry drama and fiercely contested accolades.
With speculation swirling around categories such as Game of the Year and Most Anticipated Game, this year’s event promises not only major revelations but also a robust competition among some of the industry’s most discussed titles.
How Can You Watch The Game Awards 2025 Live?
This year’s ceremony will once again be broadcast across multiple international platforms, ensuring that fans worldwide can tune in regardless of their preferred device.
The pre-show begins at 4:30pm PT / 7:30pm ET, followed by the main event.
You can stream the programme on:
IGN.com
IGN’s YouTube channel
Facebook
Twitter / X
Twitch
IGN mobile apps
Humble YouTube
Eurogamer
VG247
Rock Paper Shotgun
This multiplatform distribution strategy strengthens accessibility while reflecting the ceremony’s global reach.
Which Games Are Nominated for Game of the Year?
The coveted Game of the Year (GOTY) category features a striking blend of sequels, indies and auteur-driven experiences. This year’s shortlist showcases the breadth of modern game design:
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Donkey Kong Bananza
Hades II
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
With established franchises jostling alongside bold new creative works, the category remains too close to call — though Expedition 33 and Hollow Knight: Silksong dominate much of the pre-show discourse.
What Are the Standout Categories to Watch This Year?
Best Game Direction
Celebrating visionary leadership and creative ambition, nominees include:
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Death Stranding 2: On The Beach, Ghost of Yōtei, Hades II, Split Fiction.
Best Adaptation
With Hollywood intersecting increasingly with gaming, adaptations like A Minecraft Movie, Devil May Cry and The Last of Us: Season 2 headline a competitive field.
Best Narrative
Games elevating storytelling — including Silent Hill f and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II — highlight the narrative evolution of the medium.
Best Art Direction
From the painterly surrealism of Expedition 33 to the finely honed aesthetic of Hades II, this category remains one of the ceremony’s most visually compelling.
Who Is Leading in Music, Audio and Performance?
Best Score and Music
Hollow Knight: Silksong and Ghost of Yōtei are among the frontrunners in a category known for shaping emotional resonance.
Best Audio Design
Nominees such as Battlefield 6 and Silent Hill f illustrate the importance of sonic textures in crafting immersive worlds.
Best Performance
This year’s celebrated actors include Ben Starr, Charlie Cox, Erika Ishii, Jennifer English, Konatsu Kato and Troy Baker — an impressive lineup reflecting the medium’s increasing theatrical sophistication.
Which Games Are Making Waves in Accessibility, Impact and Community?
Innovation in Accessibility
Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Doom: The Dark Ages, and South of Midnight lead the push towards more inclusive gaming practices.
Games for Impact
Narrative-driven and socially reflective titles such as Consume Me and Wanderstop make strong showings.
Best Community Support
Final Fantasy XIV, Fortnite, and Helldivers 2 continue to set industry benchmarks for player engagement.
What About Indie Recognition?
Indie and debut creators receive extensive spotlighting:
Best Independent Game
Absolum, Blue Prince, Hades II, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
Best Debut Indie Game
Blue Prince, Dispatch, Despelote, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
The presence of crossover titles such as Hades II and Expedition 33 blurs the boundary between independent and mainstream prestige.
How Do Genre Categories Shape Up?
Best Action Game
Doom: The Dark Ages and Ninja Gaiden 4 headline a relentlessly high-octane category.
Best Action-Adventure
With Death Stranding 2 and Hollow Knight: Silksong included, this category promises intense debate among fans.
Best RPG
A stacked lineup featuring Avowed, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, The Outer Worlds 2 and Monster Hunter Wilds cements RPGs as one of the year’s dominant genres.
Other Genre Highlights
Best Fighting Game
2XKO, Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves.
Best Family Game
Donkey Kong Bananza, LEGO Voyagers, Mario Kart World.
Best Sim/Strategy
Civilization VII, FINAL FANTASY TACTICS – The Ivalice Chronicles, Jurassic World Evolution 3.
Best Sports/Racing
EA Sports FC 26, F1 25, Rematch.
Best Multiplayer
Elden Ring Nightreign, Split Fiction, Battlefield 6.
Which Upcoming Titles Are the Most Anticipated?
The battle for the Most Anticipated Game award centres around some of the industry’s most powerful franchises:
007 First Light
Grand Theft Auto VI
Marvel’s Wolverine
Resident Evil Requiem
The Witcher IV
The prevailing question: Can anything unseat Grand Theft Auto VI as the year’s most eagerly awaited release?
Who Are the Leading Contenders in Esports?
Esports once again features prominently, with awards for athletes, teams and games:
Best Esports Game
Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, League of Legends, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Valorant.
Best Esports Athlete
Chovy, MenaRD, Zyw0o among others.
Best Esports Team
Gen.G, Team Falcons, NRG, Team Vitality and more.
Content Creator of the Year
Caedrel, Kai Cenat, MoistCr1TiKaL, Sakura Miko and The Burnt Peanut.
The diversity of nominees reflects esports’ rapidly expanding cultural footprint.
What Is the Players’ Voice Category Highlighting This Year?
A unique, community-driven category, Players’ Voice offers fans direct influence.
This year’s roster includes:
Expedition 33, Genshin Impact, Dispatch, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Wuthering Waves, Death Stranding 2, Ghost of Yōtei, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, Silent Hill f.
Fan-favourite debates remain intense, with Silksong and Expedition 33 appearing to dominate early sentiment.