Valve announced the community-voted Steam Awards 2025 winners on January 3, 2026, at 18:00 UTC, after 43.8 million votes across 11 categories. Hollow Knight: Silksong won Game of the Year and Best Game You Suck At, making it the only game to win twice; the other nine awards went to nine different games.
Steam Awards 2025 winners
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Game of the Year | Hollow Knight: Silksong |
| VR Game of the Year | The Midnight Walk |
| Labor of Love | Baldur’s Gate 3 |
| Best Game on Steam Deck | Hades II |
| Better With Friends | PEAK |
| Outstanding Visual Style | Silent Hill f |
| Most Innovative Gameplay | ARC Raiders |
| Best Game You Suck At | Hollow Knight: Silksong |
| Best Soundtrack | Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 |
| Outstanding Story-Rich Game | Dispatch |
| Sit Back and Relax | RV There Yet? |
How the Steam Awards voting worked
The Steam Awards are chosen by Steam users. Valve’s official awards page said voting ran from December 18, 2025, at 18:00 UTC, through January 3, 2026, at 18:00 UTC. Non-limited Steam accounts could cast one vote in each category and change votes before the deadline. Valve announced the results at the close of voting. Steam Awards voting information
Valve reported the categories and results; VGC reported 43.8 million votes across all 11 categories. The date some outlets published their coverage varied, but the official announcement time was January 3 at 18:00 UTC.
What stands out about the 2025 winners
Silksong was the only repeat winner
Hollow Knight: Silksong took both the top overall award and Best Game You Suck At. It was a two-category win, not a sweep: nine other games shared the remaining awards. The total was 10 unique winners across 11 categories.
#1 Best Overall
- International (UK) Version
- 7.4” diagonal, HDR OLED, 1280 x 800 x RGB, up to 90Hz Refresh rate, High performance touch, <0.1 ms Response time, 1,000 nits peak brightness (HDR), 600 nits (SDR)
- SteamOS 3.0 (Arch-based)
- 512GB NVMe SSD, 16GB LPDDR5 on-board RAM (5500 MT/s quad 32-bit channels), microSD UHS-I supports SD, SDXC and SDHC
- 6 nm AMD APU, CPU: Zen 2 4c/8t, 2.4-3.5GHz (up to 448 GFlops FP32
The results covered a wide range of games
The winners span a challenging action game, a VR adventure, a cooperative climbing game, a horror title, a multiplayer shooter, a narrative game, a role-playing game, and a relaxed road-trip game. PEAK and RV There Yet? stood out among lower-profile independent games, while Baldur’s Gate 3 received recognition for continued support and Hades II won the Steam Deck category.
Notable category wins
- VR Game of the Year: The Midnight Walk supports both flat-screen and VR play, according to its Steam listing.
- Best Game on Steam Deck: Hades II won the category specifically tied to Valve’s handheld platform.
- Better With Friends: PEAK won for its cooperative climbing game experience.
- Outstanding Visual Style: Silent Hill f won for visual direction, not simply technical fidelity.
- Best Soundtrack: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 received one award, despite not winning Game of the Year.
FAQ
Who won Steam Game of the Year 2025?
Hollow Knight: Silksong won the Steam Awards 2025 Game of the Year award.
Rank #2
- 512 GB NVMe SSD: Fast storage for quicker game load times and space for larger game libraries.
- OLED Display: 1200x800 resolution with deep contrasts and vibrant colors for a captivating visual experience.
- Custom AMD APU: Power-efficient Zen 2 CPU and RDNA 2 GPU for desktop-level gaming performance.
- Expandable Storage: Add more space with a microSD card slot, ensuring you can bring even more games with you.
- Versatile Controls: With built-in thumbsticks, trackpads, and touchscreen controls, you have full control over your gaming experience.
Which game won the most Steam Awards in 2025?
Hollow Knight: Silksong was the only repeat winner, earning two awards: Game of the Year and Best Game You Suck At.
When were the Steam Awards 2025 winners announced?
Valve’s official announcement time was January 3, 2026, at 18:00 UTC.
Recommended Free Tools
Rank #3
- 1TB NVMe SSD
- 1280 x 800 HDR OLED display with premium anti-glare etched glass, 7.4" Diagonal display size up to 90Hz refresh rate
- Wi-Fi 6E
- 50Whr battery; 3-12 hours of gameplay (content-dependent)
- Carrying case with removable liner
How many votes were cast in the Steam Awards 2025?
VGC reported 43.8 million votes across the 11 categories.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Brighter colours, blacker blacks: Steam Deck's HDR OLED display is designed to play from scratch with stunning contrast, bright clarity and a larger image. With more colors, pure blacks and incredible interpretations of movement, you'll see your games in a new light.
- 【More time to play】 Steam Deck OLED has 30-50% more battery life. We insert a larger battery in the case and the OLED display draws less power. Add an updated, more efficient AMD APU and you have more time to play your favorites.
- Lighter, cooler: Thanks to a larger fan and updated thermals, the Steam Deck OLED runs cooler. 30g or ~5% lighter than the LCD model due to the display.
- 【COMFORTABLE CONTROLLE】 The Steam Deck is built for long gaming sessions with perfectly placed full-size controls within reach whether you are using pins or trackpad. The back of the device is shaped to fit a wide range of hand sizes comfortably.
- 【In Box】Valve Steam Deck OLED Handheld Games Console - Black; Charger; Quick Start Guide; Carry Case.
Did Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 win a Steam Award?
Yes. It won Best Soundtrack.
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