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The upcoming annual gaming ceremony, set for December 11, appears anyone's game. Initially, GTA 6 had been expected to sweep the ceremony, but postponement into 2026 has completely changed the landscape. This change sets the stage for a much more unpredictable contest for the coveted Game of the Year award.

The selection involves a international group of critics globally, alongside a 10 percent of public voting. Various trends typically influence which titles shine in the top category race. A strong critical score—optimally above 90—is virtually mandatory. Role-playing games and narrative action games usually earn favorable attention, while indie and multiplayer titles struggle against tougher obstacles compared to AAA solo adventures. These patterns helped accurately forecast 2024's winner, the PlayStation platformer.

Here are projections for the six potential candidates for Game of the Year 2025. Unlike the movie business, where the majority of contenders are known long before voting, video games often demonstrate their quality only once they're out. Thus, this list includes only games that have already launched. The list will evolve as the remainder of 2025 if upcoming releases arrive. Additionally featured are several potential future hopefuls and under-the-radar picks.

Leading Candidates

1. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Why it could win: A critically acclaimed RPG, excellent in character development and performance, thought-provoking yet fun, with slick visuals—it has all the qualities of a Game of the Year winner. As a astonishing achievement from a relatively small group, which enhances its charm. Echoing Metaphor: ReFantazio was very strong in 2024. This title appears a formidable opponent.

Challenges: Even though it's a successful release, a sufficient number of people must play the game—particularly among reviewers—to stay in the conversation for over six months. Xbox access will boost visibility, but is it genuinely impactful enough to win?

Momentum (remaining strong): Expedition 33 is a complete package, people are still engaging with and discussing it, and prediction markets are strongly favoring its success. It's very firmly placed in the lead.

2. Hollow Knight's sequel

Positive factors: Team Cherry's long anticipated sequel to its acclaimed darling has a strong chance to sweep at this year's show, in part because the first game didn't receive much impact back then and the voters may be motivated to now honor it. Critics largely love it, sales have been very strong, and its launch was a huge moment that dominated the gaming talk for weeks.

Drawbacks: This sequel is very hard, which has split some reviewers and may additionally polarize the jury. Numerous players quit the game or feel annoyed by it, and the accompanying discussion has been a bit divisive.

Momentum (new entry): Few 2025 games have had such an impact as Team Cherry's release, and it's unlikely that any others will. The unexpected release was brilliantly orchestrated for maximum impact, but the omission of pre-release versions for critics means its review scores could change over time.

3. Bananza

Strengths: With a average of 90+ on each of Metacritic and OpenCritic, Bananza has the essential level of critical support to compete. That’s not surprising for a Nintendo platformer, which counts against it. But, with its physics-based action, resuscitation of Donkey Kong as a main protagonist, and position as a showcase title for a new console, it has more freshness than your average Mario game, and makes for a more notable story.

Challenges: Family-oriented platformers tend to underperform in major award races, due to typical simplicity and weaker storylines. Last year's winner bucked that trend, but back-to-back victories in a row seems improbable. Additionally, Nintendo’s quality is often expected.

Momentum (slipping No. 2): Bananza may hold momentum better than some other games as more people pick up new consoles, but criticized DLC has hurt its image somewhat.

4. Death Stranding 2

Why it could win: This auteur's follow-up to his controversial 2019 narrative about connecting across a post-apocalyptic landscape is both more expansive and more accessible than the first game. A visually impressive, absorbing, ambitious cinematic title, with rave reviews, backed by Sony… it’s got all the ingredients of a top-tier GOTY contender, and it comes from the best-known creative visionary still working.

Issues: Next to Expedition 33's underdog story, Kojima's game feels like the safe choice, despite its many oddities. And the familiarity between Kojima and Geoff Keighley might make some critics feel uneasy about supporting it.

Trend (slipping No. 3): This title's critical scores have cooled a little since launch. And it’s not clear that the game has significantly grown beyond its existing fanbase.

5. Hazelight's new game

Advantages: Reviewer agreement is still the most reliable signal of success at The Game Awards, and with a rating over 90 on both {Metacritic and OpenCritic|aggregate sites