Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has made history at The Game Awards 2025 by receiving 12 nominations, the most ever for a single game. The turn-based RPG from Sandfall Interactive leads the pack, including nods for Game of the Year and best performance. Other top contenders include Death Stranding 2 and Ghost of Yōtei, each with seven nominations.
Nominations Overview
The Game Awards 2025 nominations were announced recently, showcasing standout titles from the year. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, released in April by Sandfall Interactive and published by Kepler Interactive, topped the list with 12 nominations. These include Game of the Year, Best RPG, Best Art Direction, Best Score and Music, and three Best Performance nods for Ben Starr, Charlie Cox, and Jennifer English.
The game's director, Guillaume Broche, expressed gratitude in a statement: "What a privilege to be nominated, not only for 2025 GAME OF THE YEAR, but also TWELVE??!! TOTAL NOMINATIONS. There are so many deserving, precious games from this year, and to be nominated among them makes us SO SO very whee... THANK YOU!!"
Key Categories and Contenders
In Game of the Year, Clair Obscur competes against Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (Kojima Productions/Sony), Donkey Kong Bananza (Nintendo), Hades 2 (Supergiant Games), Hollow Knight: Silksong (Team Cherry), and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (Warhorse Studios/Deep Silver).
Other notable categories:
- Best Game Direction: Ghost of Yōtei (Sucker Punch Productions/Sony), Split Fiction (Hazelight Studios/EA), Death Stranding 2.
- Best Narrative: Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, Silent Hill f (NeoBards Entertainment/KONAMI).
- Best Multiplayer: Arc Raiders (Embark Studios), Battlefield 6 (EA), Elden Ring Nightreign (FromSoftware/Bandai Namco).
- Best Esports Game: Counter-Strike 2 (Valve), Dota 2 (Valve), League of Legends (Riot), Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (Moonton), Valorant (Riot).
Sony leads as the most-nominated publisher. The event is set for December 11, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. EST in Los Angeles.
Reactions and Context
While Clair Obscur celebrates, streamer Shroud voiced frustration over Arc Raiders' snub from Game of the Year, calling the awards "rigged" during a Twitch stream. He noted the extraction shooter's popularity on Steam and critical acclaim but acknowledged its nomination in Best Multiplayer. There is no evidence of rigging; nominations are decided by games media and influencers.
Clair Obscur's success caps a strong year, with actor Charlie Cox revealing he recorded his role in just four hours, despite the game's acclaim.
