‘Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’ stuns industry with record haul of Game Awards nominations

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has emerged as the expected juggernaut of this year’s Game Awards, leading the 2025 nominations with a record-breaking 12 nods. The full slate was unveiled Monday during a livestream hosted on YouTube, setting the stage for what organisers are calling the “most competitive year in the show’s history.”

Developed by Montpellier-based Sandfall Interactive, the stylish, turn-based RPG has vaulted from cult curiosity to award-season heavyweight. Its 12 nominations span the ceremony’s most prestigious categories, including Game of the Year, Best Game Direction and Best Narrative. It also dominates the performance field, with Ben Starr, Charlie Cox and Jennifer English all recognised for their roles in a rare triple showing for a single title.

In the chase for Game of the Year, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 will face off against an eclectic lineup: Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding 2: On The Beach, Nintendo’s platformer Donkey Kong Bananza, indie favourites Hollow Knight: Silksong and Hades II, and medieval sequel Kingdom Come: Deliverance II.

This year marks a shift for The Game Awards itself. The show, created and hosted by journalist Geoff Keighley, will stream on Prime Video for the first time, alongside its usual presence on Twitch, YouTube, Steam, X, Facebook and TikTok Live.

Part awards show and part marketing showcase, the December 11 ceremony in Los Angeles is expected to deliver its customary blend of musical performances, celebrity cameos and high-profile reveals. Last year, audiences first saw glimpses of The Witcher IV, Elden Ring Nightreign and Naughty Dog’s Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.

Sandfall’s breakout success arrives with a note of controversy. Despite being nominated for Best Independent Game, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was supported by several global studios and funded in part by publisher Kepler Interactive, which is a grey area in the increasingly blurred indie landscape. Still, critics have been enamoured with its painterly aesthetic, turn-based combat and charged performances.

Sony, historically a powerhouse at the awards, follows close behind the frontrunner with two PS5 exclusives — Death Stranding 2 and Ghost of Yōtei — each earning eight nominations, with Erika Ishii representing the latter in the performance category.

Beyond games, the adaptation race includes titles such as A Minecraft Movie, Netflix’s Devil May Cry, HBO’s The Last of Us: Season 2, Splinter Cell: Deathwatch and the horror reimagining Until Dawn.

The full list of nominees is available on The Game Awards’ official channels.