Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 dominates The Game Awards 2025 with record-breaking wins

The Game Awards 2025 has come to a close, and this year’s ceremony will be remembered for the unprecedented success of a single title. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the debut game from French developer Sandfall Interactive, emerged as the clear standout of the night. The turn-based role-playing game secured a record nine awards, setting a new benchmark in the event’s history and firmly establishing the studio as a major new creative force in the industry.

The game’s biggest achievement was winning Game of the Year, the most closely watched prize of the evening. In doing so, it overcame strong competition from several high-profile releases, including Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Donkey Kong Bananza and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. Each of those titles arrived with significant expectations and fan support, making Clair Obscur’s victory all the more notable for a first-time studio.

A clean sweep across major categories

Beyond Game of the Year, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 claimed awards across a wide range of categories, reflecting both its creative ambition and technical execution. It won Best Direction and Best Narrative, highlighting the strength of its storytelling and overall vision. Actress Jennifer English was also recognised with the Best Performance award for her role as Maelle, a character widely praised for emotional depth and nuance.

The game achieved a rare double victory in the independent categories, winning both Best Independent Game and Best Debut Indie Game. This reinforced its position not only as a critical success but also as a landmark release for the independent development scene. Despite its dominance, the title did not win every category it was nominated for. It missed out on Best Audio Design, which went to Battlefield 6, and Players’ Voice, which was awarded to Wuthering Waves.

With nine total wins, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 surpassed the previous record of seven awards held by The Last of Us Part 2, which achieved that milestone in 2020. The result aligns closely with the game’s broader critical reception throughout the year, which has consistently ranked it among the highest-rated releases. Many outlets have highlighted its distinctive art style, carefully paced combat system and emotionally driven narrative as reasons for its widespread acclaim.

During the acceptance speech for Game of the Year, director Guillaume Broche used the moment to share news directly with fans. He announced that a new content update is available immediately, introducing a new location, Verso’s Drafts, alongside additional features and gameplay improvements. The announcement was met with enthusiasm in the audience and online, suggesting the game’s momentum is set to continue well beyond awards season.

Other winners across games and esports

While Clair Obscur dominated much of the spotlight, several other games enjoyed notable successes on the night. Hades II took home the award for Best Action Game, continuing the strong legacy of its predecessor with fast-paced combat and polished design. Hollow Knight: Silksong was recognised as Best Action and Adventure Game, a result that reflected years of anticipation and its reception as a worthy follow-up to the original.

Donkey Kong Bananza won Best Family Game, appealing to players of all ages with its accessible gameplay and familiar characters. In the mobile category, Umamusume: Pretty Derby secured Best Mobile Game, highlighting the continued growth and quality improvements within mobile gaming.

Competitive gaming also had its moment at the ceremony. Counter-Strike 2 was awarded Best Esports Game, underlining its ongoing relevance in the professional scene. Best Multiplayer Game went to Arc Raiders, a free-to-play team shooter that launched fully in October and quickly built a strong player base through cooperative gameplay and regular updates.

Even Grand Theft Auto VI, which many expected to dominate this year before its delay, made its presence felt. It won Most Anticipated Game for the second consecutive year, demonstrating sustained interest despite its absence from release schedules. The award reflected the game’s continued cultural impact and the high expectations surrounding its eventual launch.

New trailers and long-awaited announcements

As expected, the awards were accompanied by a series of trailers and announcements that offered a glimpse into the future of gaming. Although the show did not feature as many major reveals as the previous year, which included titles such as The Witcher 4 and Okami 2, it still delivered several notable surprises.

One of the most talked-about announcements was a new entry in the Divinity series from Larian Studios, the developer behind Baldur Gate 3. The upcoming game, titled ‘Divinity’, marks the studio’s return to the franchise for the first time since Divinity: Original Sin II in 2017. Larian described it as its most ambitious project to date, signalling a significant expansion in scope and production values.

Reviving dormant franchises emerged as a clear theme throughout the event. Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic received a teaser trailer that immediately drew comparisons to Knights of the Old Republic. Like its predecessor, the new game is a single-player action role-playing experience and is being led by Casey Hudson, who previously directed the original Knights titles. The reveal generated strong reactions from long-time fans of the series.

Other franchise revivals included Tomb Raider Catalyst and Mega Man Dual Override. Both titles are positioned as successors to their respective 2018 releases, Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Mega Man 11. Developers confirmed that both games are scheduled for release in 2027, suggesting a long-term commitment to reimagining these established brands.

Original projects also featured prominently. 4Loop was introduced as a cooperative shooter led by Left 4 Dead creator Mike Booth and developed by Bad Robot Games, the studio founded by J.J. Abrams. Another new title, Ontos from Frictional Games, was presented as a science-fiction thriller and a spiritual successor to the studio’s 2015 survival-horror game Soma. Fans of the genre were also treated to news that Leon Kennedy will return in Resident Evil Requiem, continuing the long-running horror franchise.

Several previously announced games returned with fresh updates. The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin unveiled a new gameplay trailer ahead of its planned January 2026 release. Saros, developed by Finnish studio Housemarque and published by Sony, revealed a new release window of late April 2026 alongside a pre-order trailer. The game is positioned as the follow-up to Housemarque’s 2021 title Returnal, building on its action-focused design.