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The next Game Awards, taking place December 11, appears highly unpredictable. At first, GTA 6 was anticipated to dominate the event, but pushback into 2026 has completely changed the outlook. This development sets the stage for a far more open battle for the coveted Game of the Year honor.

The process includes a broad body of critics from around the world, supplemented by a small percentage of public voting. Several key factors often predict which titles perform well in the top category category. A strong aggregate review score—ideally exceeding 90—is virtually mandatory. Story-driven adventures and narrative action games tend to get preferential treatment, while smaller and co-op titles struggle against tougher challenges compared to AAA single-player games. These patterns helped accurately forecast 2024's champion, Astro Bot.

Below are educated guesses for the half-dozen most probable candidates for Game of the Year 2025. In contrast to the film industry, where the majority of contenders are established months prior to voting, video games frequently showcase their quality only once they're out. Accordingly, this ranking includes only games that have been released. The list will evolve during the year when upcoming releases arrive. Also included are a few potential future contenders and under-the-radar picks.

Leading Candidates

1. Expedition 33

Strengths: An highly praised RPG, strong on narrative and cinematic presentation, emotionally impactful yet fun, with slick production values—it has all the ingredients of a Game of the Year winner. This is an astonishing feat from a fairly new development team, which only adds to its charm. The somewhat similar a previous favorite was well-received in 2024. Expedition 33 appears a formidable opponent.

Weaknesses: Even though it's a minor hit, enough people should play the game—most importantly among reviewers—to stay in the conversation for more than six months. Game Pass will help, but can it genuinely big enough to come out on top?

Current standing (holding steady): Clair Obscur is a polished product, fans keep playing and talking about it, and prediction markets are heavily backing its victory. It is comfortable in the lead.

2. Hollow Knight: Silksong

Positive factors: This studio's extremely awaited sequel to its breakout indie hit has a strong chance to sweep at the ceremony, largely because the original didn't make much of an impression back then and the jury may be eager to belatedly recognize it. Journalists overwhelmingly adore it, commercial performance is very strong, and its debut was a significant event that defined the gaming talk for an extended period.

Drawbacks: The game is extremely challenging, which has split some players and may further polarize the audience. A lot of players struggle with the game or feel irritated by it, and the accompanying discourse has been fairly fractious.

Standing (recent addition): Hardly any 2025 games have made as big a splash as Team Cherry's release, and it's improbable that any others will. The shock launch was expertly planned for greatest impact, but the lack of pre-release versions for media means its perception could shift over time.

3. Donkey Kong Bananza

Strengths: With a average of 90 or more on Metacritic and OpenCritic, the title has the necessary level of acclaim to compete. This is expected for a Nintendo family title, which hurts it. But, with its destruction mechanics, revival of Donkey Kong as a starring character, and status as a launch title for a next-gen system, it has more freshness than a typical Mario game, and makes for a more notable story.

Weaknesses: Family-oriented side-scrollers tend to not do as well in major award categories, due to assumed immaturity and less complex plots. The 2024 champion defied that trend, but two wins in a row seems improbable. Also, the company's greatness is often assumed.

Momentum (down from No. 2): The game may keep momentum better than some other games as more people pick up new consoles, but criticized DLC has hurt its reputation a little.

4. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

Positive aspects: Hideo Kojima's second chapter to his controversial 2019 sci-fi epic about hiking across a post-apocalyptic landscape is both more expansive and more palatable than the original. A visually stunning, absorbing, bold thoughtful experience, with rave reviews, backed by a major publisher… it’s got all the hallmarks of a top-tier Game of the Year hopeful, and it comes from the renowned creative visionary still working.

Issues: Next to Expedition 33's indie charm, Death Stranding 2 feels like the safe choice, despite its many quirks. And the closeness between Kojima and Geoff Keighley might make some jury members feel uncomfortable about supporting it.

Trend (declining No. 3): Death Stranding 2's reception have dropped a little since launch. And it’s not clear that the game has meaningfully grown beyond its current fanbase.

5. Hazelight's new game

Strengths: Reviewer agreement is still the most reliable predictor of success at The Game Awards, and with a rating exceeding 90 on {Metacritic and OpenCritic|aggregate sites