The Game Awards 2025: how to watch and what to expect from this year’s event
Get ready for game trailers, awards, and some surprises at The Game Awards 2025
🏆 The Game Awards 2025 is back for another year
📆 This year’s event takes place on December 11 and is live from 7.30pm ET / 4.30pm PT / 12:30am GMT
🍿 The event will be livestreamed in 4K on YouTube and X, plus a 1440p stream will be available on Twitch
👀 Games that are already announced for this year’s event include Exodus, Resident Evil: Requiem and Phantom Blade Zero, with more to come
It’s that time of year again – The Game Awards 2025 are upon us, and here’s everything you need to know about one of the biggest events of the calendar.
It’s the last of the usual trifecta of Geoff Keighley-hosted game unveilings and events, following on from Summer Games Fest and Gamescom Opening Night Live in the summer.
The Game Awards 2025 will be essential viewing to anyone interested in video games and should deliver some exciting reveals and surprises. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the show:
When is The Game Awards 2025?
This year’s edition of The Game Awards takes place today on December 11 in its usual slot of 7:30pm ET / 4:30pm PT / 12:30am GMT / 1:30am CET, and is expected to last for three hours.
Geoff Keighley hasn’t announced the exact duration of the event. However, previous events indicate a three-hour runtime. Best grab yourself a snack and beverage then.
The Game Awards 2025: how to watch
According to a post on X from Geoff Keighley himself, The Game Awards 2025 will be streamed live in 4K/60fps on The Game Awards’ YouTube channel. It’ll also air in 4K on X and in 1440p on Twitch. You can also watch an embed of the stream above.
The Game Awards 2025: what to expect
We’re a little in the dark as to what will and won’t be shown at The Game Awards this year, apart from in a couple of instances.
Firstly, action-RPG Exodus that stars Matthew Mcconaughey has been confirmed at this year’s event, while we know that Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake won’t be shown.
Otherwise, there have been drip-fed confirmations for the likes of Resident Evil: Requiem and Phantom Blade Zero, with more expected to come.
We also know that a new playable character for the game adaption of Invisible VS will be unveiled at this year’s event, and it’s expected that we’ll see a brand new Total War game from Creative Assembly after the series’ 25th anniversary has been celebrated.
Beyond this, it’s mostly speculation and teasers to go on, such as the potential for the announcement of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s long-awaited free update that adds a new dungeon, and a wider console release of Hades 2, a game that’s only on PC and Switch/Switch 2 at the moment.
Other rumors and predictions point to more potential details for the latest James Bond-them-up 007: First Light, such as who the villain may be, or who will perform the game’s theme. A remake of the first Tomb Raider could also be on the cards, along with a new Divinity game reveal.
Likewise, it could be prime time for more information on the newly announced Forza Horizon 6 that takes place in Japan, or additional information on Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra could be shared. We may even get some more information on any upcoming titles from Hideo Kojima, who always seems to make an appearance at a Geoff Keighley show.
At the moment, all we can do is sit and wait to see what comes from the 2025 iteration of The Game Awards, and when we do know more, you’ll be sure to find it right here.
The Game Awards 2025 nominees
While millions of people will tune into The Game Awards 2025 to catch the exclusive announcements and reveals, those in the industry and players alike also care about the award winners. Here are all The Game Awards 2025 nominees:
Game of the Year
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Donkey Kong Bananza
Hades 2
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
Best Game Direction
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Ghost of Yotei
Hades 2
Split Fiction
Best Narrative
Clair Obscure: Expedition 33
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Ghost of Yotei
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
Silent Hill f
Best Art Direction
Clair Obscure: Expedition 33
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Ghost of Yotei
Hades 2
Hollowknight: Silksong
Best Score and Music
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Ghost of Yotei
Hades 2
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Best Audio Design
Battlefield 6
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Ghost of Yotei
Silent Hill f
Best ongoing game
Final Fantasy 14
Fortnite
Helldivers 2
Marvel Rivals
No Man’s Sky
Best community support
Baldur’s Gate 3
Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail
Fortnite
Helldivers 2
No Man’s Sky
Best independent game
Absolum
Ball x Pit
Blue Prince
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Hades 2
Hollowknight: Silksong
Best debut indie game
Blue Prince
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Despelote
Dispatch
Best mobile game
Destiny: Rising
Persona 5: The Phantom X
Sonic Rumble
Umamusume: Pretty Derby
Wuthering Waves
Best VR/AR game
Alien: Rouge Incursion
Arken Age
Ghost Town
Marvel’s Deadpool VR
The Midnight Walk
Best action game
Battlefield 6
Doom: The Dark Ages
Hades 2
Ninja Gaiden 4
Shinobi: Art of Vengeance
Best action/adventure game
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Ghost of Yotei
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Split Fiction
Best RPG game
Avowed
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
Monster Hunter Wilds
The Outer Worlds 2
Best fighting game
2XKO
Capcom Fighting Collection 2
Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves
Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection
Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage
Best family game
Donkey Kong Bananza
LEGO Party
LEGO Voyagers
Mario Kart World
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
Split Fiction
Best sim/strategy game
The Alters
Civilization 7
Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles
Tempest Rising
Jurassic World Evolution 3
Two Point Museum
Best sports/racing game
EA Sports FC 26
F1 25
Mario Kart World
Rematch
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
Best multiplayer game
ARC Raiders
Battlefield 6
Elden Ring Nightreign
Peak
Split Fiction
Best adaptation
A Minecraft MOvie
Devil May Cry
The Last of Us Season 2
Splinter Cell: Deathwatch
Until Dawn
Most anticipated game
007 First Light
Grand Theft 6
Marvel’s Wolverine
Resident Evil Requiem
The Witcher 4
Players’ Voice
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Dispatch
Genshin Impact
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Wuthering Waves
Best esports game
Counter-Strike 2
Dota 2
League of Legends
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
Valorant
Best Performance
Troy Baker - Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Charlie Cox - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Jennifer English - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Erika Ishii - Ghost of Yotei
Konatsu Kato - Silent Hill f
Ben Starr - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Innovation in accessibility
Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Atomfall
Doom: The Dark Ages
EA Sports FC 26
South of Midnight
Games for impact
Consume Me
Despelote
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
South of Midnight
Wanderstop
Up next: Mario Kart World DLC for Switch 2 could be revealed during The Game Awards
Reece Bithrey is a journalist with bylines for Trusted Reviews, Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, TechRadar and more. He also has his own blog, UNTITLED, and graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in International History and Politics in 2023.
Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. He also runs a retro gaming YouTube channel called Game on, boy! Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.