The Game Awards 2025 live blog: all the biggest announcements and trailers

Get ready for video games, awards, and more video games!

(Credit: The Shortcut/The Game Awards)

• 👉 We’re covering The Game Awards 2025 live!

• 🔁 Refresh this page for live updates!

• 👍 You’ll find all the biggest announcements, updates and commentary right here

• 📆 The event begins at 7:30pm ET / 4:30pm PT / 12:30am GMT / 1:30am CET

• 🚨 Subscribe to The Shortcut for the latest video game news

11:02 PM: And with that, another Game Awards has ended. What did you make of the show? Drop your rating in the poll below. Thanks so much for tuning in to the live blog, I’m off for a well-earned slumber.

10:57 PM: Oh, the last award. Let’s not forget about that. It’s for’ ‘best game’. Will it go to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33? The answer is yes, yes, it has. New content is available for the game right now, which will please fans.

10:53 PM: Right, the last reveal is here. The final world premiere. We’ve made it to the end of The Game Awards. The last game tonight is developed by some of the folks behind Apex Legends and Titanfall, and it’s called Highguard. It’s free to play on January 26, 2026. Consider me disappointed.

10:55 PM: A super short trailer for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, where we see Luigi knee Bowser Jr. in the face.

10:48 PM: An intriguing tease from Geoff here, and a live orchestra. Oh, that’s Mega Man! It’s good to see Capcom remember the Blue Bomber exists. Mega Man Dual Override comes out in 2027.

10:45 PM: Bethesda’s Todd Howard is on stage now to present the award for ‘best game direction’. The winner is… Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. I’ve lost count of how many Game Awards it’s won now.

10:39 PM: Okay, a world premiere. Back to what we came here for. We’re getting another look at Phatom Blade Zero, coming to PS5 and PC. It sure looks visually impressive and will excite anyone who loves Soulslike games – which, coincidentally, seems to be a lot of people. It’s out on September 9, 2026.

10:34 PM: Another Muppets section. Miss Piggy is singing. I’m tired.

10:32 PM: Out of Words is a co-op adventure game with a gorgeous art style. It uses stop motion, and it’s coming next year.

10:30 PM: Oh, no way. A new Star Wars Pod Racing game?! Now that’s a genuinely nice surprise. This is pod racing. It’s called Star Wars Galactic Racer, and it’s out next year.

10:27 PM: You know what, this is nice to see. A new Ace Combat game. I last played this series on the original PlayStation and it feels about time to give it another go. The next game is called Ace Combat 8: Wings of Thieves and is out in 2026.

10:22 PM: And another one! It’s David Harbour from Stranger Things turn to take the stage. He’s talking about the next Total War game – Total War: Warhammer 40,000. David Harbour will star in the game and is apparently a big tabletop fan.

10:18 PM: Another celebrity appearance and it’s Mila Jovovich from The Fifth Element and Resident Evil movies. She’s the next elusive target in Hitman World of Assassination in February 2026. Mila is also presenting the ‘best multiplayer game’, which goes to Arc Raiders.

10:10 PM: Geoff says there’s a lot more show to come, while reminding everyone in Europe (that’s me) that it’s early in the morning. Yes, it’s 3:10am in the UK and I still don’t have my Mario Kart World DLC. Anyway, Evanescence is performing now, which is just what I need.

10:04 PM: Oh, the co-founder of Rockstar Games is here, Dan Houser, and he’s working on two big unannounced open-world games. He’s since left Rockstar, to be clear. He’s presenting the ‘best narrative’ award. The game taking home the gold is… Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

10:02 PM: A new story trailer for Saros now, the next game by Housemarque. It’s not Returnal 2, but it sure looks a lot like it. It stars Rahul Kohli of Midnight Mass fame.

9:58 PM: Time to crown the winner of the ‘best sports/racing game’ and it’s Mario Kart World! The ‘best community support’ winner is Baldur’s Gate 3, the ‘best VR/AR game’ award goes to The Midnight Walk. The ‘best RPG’ winner is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. And lastly, the Players’ Voice award goes to Wuthering Waves.

9:57 PM: Love a freebie, Hogwarts Legacy is free on the Epic Games Store. Definitely worth a download.

9:47 PM: 007: First Light’s villain will be played be musician Lenny Kravitz, of all people. He plays a character named Bawma. An interesting choice, as it’s Kravitz’s first role in a video game. He’s on stage and announced the winner of the ‘best score and music’ award. It’s been won by… Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

9:44 PM: Deadpool is coming to Marvel Rivals along with Rogue. You can play as the foulmouthed hero from January 16, 2026.

9:42 PM: Had to rush off for a quick toilet break, doesn’t look like I missed any Mario Kart World DLC being announced. Instead, more DLC is coming to Diablo 4. Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred is out April 28, 2026, and you can play as a Paladin class today.

9:35 PM: More awards fired out by Geoff. ‘Best action/adventure game’ goes to Hollow Knight: Silksong. The winner of the ‘best art direction’ award goes to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. The winner of ‘best sim/strategy game’ is Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles. And the award for ‘best debut indie game’ goes to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

9:31 PM: Oh, a new Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive. It looks like a split-screen co-op game in the vein of It Takes Two and Split Fiction, but presented in a gorgeous retro anime style. It’s called Orbitals and is out in 2026.

Two new Tomb Raider games revealed

9:27 PM: It’s time for Tomb Raider! Lara Croft is back in Tomb Raider Legacy of Atlantis and Tomb Raider Catalyst. The first is out in 2026 and the second in 2027. Atlantis appears to be a modern-day remake of the first game judging by Lara’s classic outfit, while Catalyst is a brand-new entry.

9:24 PM: I’m starting to lose hope that Mario Kart World DLC will be announced, but you never know. At least I’m not expecting Half-Life 3, like most of The Game Awards’ YouTube chat seems to be.

9:18 PM: A slew of award winners now. The winner for ‘best audio design’ goes to Battlefield 6. The winner of the ‘Best fighting game’ goes to Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves. And the ‘Most anticipated game’ goes to GTA 6, surprising absolutely no one.

9:15 PM: A look at LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight. It’s out next year on May 29, 2026, and it looks just as charming and funny as you’d expect.

9:13 PM: Okay, another award to give out. And the winner of ‘best ongoing game’ is No Man’s Sky. Hard to argue with that.

9:08 PM: A glimpse of the new Street Fighter movie is up next. It stars 50 Cent as Balrog, Roman Reigns as Akuma, and Cody Rodes as Guile, and Andrew Schulz as Dan, Jason Momoa as Blanka. Loads of the cast are here. 50 Cent isn’t there, though.

9:05 PM: A gorgeous “in-engine” look at Nagoshi Studio’s new game, which is giving big Like a Dragon/Yakuza vibes. It’s called Gang of Dragon and wow, if it looks remotely close to that, we’re in for a treat.

Control Resonant is coming 2026

9:00 PM: Now here’s a big reveal: Remedy just announced Control 2! Well, it’s called Control Resonant. It’s coming 2026 and it looks rather different from the first game, focusing more on melee combat.

8:58 PM: Oh, now this is cool. An anime-style racing game, seemingly with a pretty interesting story. It’s called Screamer, and it’s out in 2026. Check out the trailer below to see for yourself.

8:54 PM: Another game from Wizards of the Coast. The CGI is being accompanied by track by Tool, which is cool. It’s called Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons and more will be revealed in summer 2026.

8:51 PM: Exodus, the game starring Matthew McConaughey (definitely Googled how to spell that) is being shown next. It seems to be a third-person action game with lots of sci-fi goodness. It’s out in early 2027.

8:49 PM: Order of the Sinking Star is out in 2026. It’s a puzzle-adventure with a story and over 1,400 puzzles to wrap your head around.

8:44 PM: Another look at Resident Evil Requiem now. Capcom’s survival horror game is out early next year and will hopefully keep up the series’ hot streak. The trailer also confirms that Leon S. Kennedy will make an appearance in Requiem and will be playable. RE9 is out February 27, 2026.

8:43 PM: South of Midnight is coming to PS5 and Nintendo Switch 2. That might be the first big Xbox title coming to Nintendo’s handheld, unless I’m mistaken.

8:41 PM: The ‘Games for impact’ winner has just been announced. The award goes to…. South of Midnight.

8:39 PM: A Nintendo Switch 2 ad is on now showing off Resident Evil Requiem, The Duskbloods, and Final Fantasy 7 Intergrade. Sadly, there’s nothing new to report. Oh, Riot Games fighting title 2KXO is coming to consoles in January 2026.

8:37 PM: Ontos is up next, and it’s coming out in 2026. It’s a sci-fi mystery and is a spiritual sequel to Soma.

8:35 PM: A game developed by some folks who worked on The Last of Us, you play as a innocent little grandma. It’s called Coven of the Chickenfoot and looks pretty great.

8:30 PM: JJ Abrams and the creator of Left for Dead, Mike Booth, are on stage now. They’re talking about the new co-op game for PS5 and PC, and we’re getting a glimpse. It’s called 4 Loop.

8:26 PM: Who wants another award? This time it’s for ‘best performance’. The award goes to Jennifer English for her role in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

8:24 PM: Ah, it’s to do with that mysterious sculpture. And yep, it’s a new Divinity game, as the internet sleuths figured out. It’s Larian Studios’ “biggest game ever”.

8:21 PM: Some fantastic acting now as people are hoisted into the sky. Not sure what this is in aid of… And now someone is being burnt alive – in CGI, not real life.

8:16 PM: And after that cool reveal, it’s the turn of Miss Piggy to take the spotlight. Apparently, Miss Piggy and Geoff had a relationship.

Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic revealed

8:13 PM: Geoff is telling us to “enjoy the journey” as we see which games are coming out next year and beyond. A big world premiere now, which Geoff is “honored” to show. It appears to be a new Star Wars game? Yes, it is! It’s called Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic. It’s a single-player role-playing game from the man behind Mass Effect and the original games, Casey Hudson.

8:11 PM: The ‘best action game’ award is up now, and there’s a lot of big hitters in this one. Literally, imagine being punched by Doom. The winner is… Hades 2! Big cheer for that.

8:07 PM: Geoff acknowledging The Game Awards 2025 is going out across the globe and airs very late for those of us in Europe. Yeah, it does, Geoff. Jokes aside, Geoff mentioned he lost his house in the LA fires and his dad a few months ago. His dad would quietly sit in the crowd, and he’s left an empty seat next to his mom in his honor. Poor guy.

8:06 PM: Well, well, well, if it isn’t Geoff Keighley! You may remember him from such video game shows as Summer Game Fest, Gamescom Opening Night Live, and The Game Awards. He has a bit of a monopoly on the whole thing.

8:01 PM: How about a bit of live music to get you in the mood? It’s from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, a game I haven’t played yet but everyone adores. Should I play it? Will I ever find out the time to play it? Who knows?

8:00 PM: Okay, the Opening Act is almost done, which means it’s time for the real deal. Hopefully, it’s better. Thanks for sticking with me if you’re tuning in.

7:58 PM: Quick, another award! It’s ‘best adaption’ now, and the winner is… The Last of Us: Season 2.

7:55 PM: A title from Japan now, and it’s a being presented like a music video. It’s called Stupid Never Dies. Oh, it looks like a hack ‘n’ slash game with a few undead zombie twists. It’s out in 2026.

7:52 PM: A new studio called Day 4 Night comes from the director of Red Dead Redemption. It’s called Bradley The Badger, and it spoofs lots of popular games including Bloodborne, Cyberpunk 2077 and more. It’s hard to describe, but it certainly looks interesting.

7:50 PM: Okay, another award is being given out, and it’s ‘best independent game’. The award goes to… Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. The game is nominated in practically every category, so expect it to win more awards tonight.

7:47 PM: A new game is being shown called Solasta 2. Is it bad I’ve never heard of Solasta 1? It looks a bit like Baldur’s Gate 3 and has quite a notable voice acting cast, including Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 star, Ben Starr.

7:46 PM: The ‘best mobile game’ winner is… Umamusume: Pretty Derby. A worthy winner, I’m sure we all agree.

7:44 PM: Another world premiere now, and it’s Capcom’s Pragmata. I really like the look of this. It has all the sci-fi, Japanese craziness I can vibe with. Pragmata was also vaporware for so long I thought it would never release. It’s out April 24, 2026, and it’s also coming to Nintendo Switch 2! A playable demo is out on Steam right now.

Lara Croft is in the building

7:42 PM: Well, Tomb Raider is being shown later. It’s just been confirmed. We also got the ‘best eSports game’ winner. And The Game Award goes to Counter-Strike 2.

7:40 PM: You’ll have to forgive me if I don’t cover everything that’s shown. Like this Guild Wars 2 advert, for example. You don’t care about that do you? Remember, I’m only one man and 10 digits. I will show you Escape from Duckov, though, as it’s on my Steam wishlist.

7:37 PM: The winner of the ‘Innovation in accessibility’ award is… Doom: The Dark Ages. I’ll be honest, I didn’t see that coming, but apparently it does have a lot of features that make it more accessible for players. Kudos.

7:35 PM: Another indie title now called Decrepit. It looks like a spooky, first-person Soulslike. Apparently, it’s developed by one guy, putting AAA studios to shame once again.

7:34 PM: The first award winner has been announced. The winner of the ‘Best Family Game’ is Donkey Kong Bananza. Get in there!

7:31 PM: Wait, that isn’t Geoff Keighley? But Evanescence will be performing, and that’s already a win in my book. Kicking off the show is a new game called ‘The Free Shepard’. Yes, we finally have a game where you play as a sheepdog and herd sheep. It’s coming to PS5 in 2027.

7:25 PM: Phew! Turns out I did need to go again, but now I’m ready, promise. You may be wondering why the UK member of The Shortcut team is manning this live blog instead of someone from the US. After all, it’s going to be pretty damn late by the time this finishes.

Well, truth be told, this is my cross to bear. I love video games. They’ve molded me into the man I am today and have been a constant source of happiness in my life. Who cares about sleep! Five minutes to go…

7:15 PM: Consider this your 15-minute warning! The Game Awards 2025 begins shortly, and I’ve wisely visited the restroom before things get going. In fact, I might go again just in case, as I’m a little giddy from all the anticipation.

6:54 PM: Hopefully, The Game Awards 2025 really delivers this year. Sometimes they’re not always the most entertaining, but there are some exciting rumors ahead of the event. The most interesting, to me at least, is the possibility of some Mario Kart World DLC being revealed.

There’s some evidence that suggests Nintendo may add some Donkey Kong Bananza-themed content, including new costumes for DK, Void Kong as a playable character and a certain baddie. (I won’t spoil who it is, just in case you still haven’t finished the game.)

We’re also expecting see a Tomb Raider remake, a new Divinity game, and more of Exodus, the game that stars Matthew McConaughey. I look forward to misspelling his last name later when my eyes are tired during the early morning hours.

Welcome to the live blog

6:33 PM: Hello, and welcome to The Game Awards live blog, where I’ll be bringing you all the hottest and biggest announcements straight from the show! Remember to refresh this page regularly to get all the updates.

The Game Awards 2025 is the last big event on the calendar for those who love video games, and we’re expecting some big reveals and plenty of trailers to ogle at.

As always, there will be random celebrity appearances, muppet cameos, and… Geoff Keighley. So grab your favorite snack and beverage before things kick off at 7:30pm ET / 4:30pm PT / 12:30am GMT / 1:30am CET.

Remember, tonight isn’t just about new game announcements – this is The Game Awards, after all. Here are all the nominees for this year’s awards. (Oh, and if Donkey Kong Bananza doesn’t win game of the year, I’ll go ape sh*t.)

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

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.