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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsVoting for The Game Awards 2025 is closed. Most awards used a 90% jury and 10% fan-vote split, while Players’ Voice was decided entirely by fans in three rounds. The ceremony was scheduled for December 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. Below are the voting rules, all 29 award categories, the confirmed Game of the Year nominees and winner, and what can—and cannot—be established about the remaining nominee lists.
Can you still vote for The Game Awards 2025?
No. The 2025 voting period has ended. For the main awards, fan voting was scheduled to close Wednesday, December 10, at 6 p.m. PT, with the ceremony following on December 11 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Those dates describe the 2025 process; they are not instructions for a currently open ballot.
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WNBA Official Minnesota Lynx 2025 Playoffs Award Tour T-Shirt, Women, Black, X-Small | $21.99 | Buy on Amazon |
How did voting work?
Most award categories: jury 90%, fans 10%
For most categories, winners were determined by a combined result: the voting jury accounted for 90% and public fan voting accounted for 10%. Fans voted through TheGameAwards.com. That meant public votes could influence a winner, but did not determine most category results on their own.
Players’ Voice: fans chose the winner
Players’ Voice was separate from the main awards and was described by The Game Awards as a “100% fan voted award.” Its 2025 ballot narrowed nominees across three rounds:
#1 Best Overall
- WNBA Playoffs Merchandise design.
- Lightweight, Classic fit, Double-needle sleeve and bottom hem
- Round 1, opened December 1: voters chose 10 games from a field of 30.
- Round 2, opened December 4: voters chose five games from the remaining 10.
- Round 3, opened December 8: voters chose one winner from the final five.
The official Players’ Voice page lists Wuthering Waves as the 2025 winner and marks voting for the other finalists closed.
How were nominees selected?
For most categories, nominations came from an international jury of more than 100 media and influencer outlets. Each outlet submitted a confidential, unranked ballot of its top five choices in each category. The five games appearing most often became nominees; a tie could produce six or more nominees. Nomination selection was distinct from the later process for choosing winners.
Some areas, including esports, accessibility and adaptation, also used specialized juries. The Game Awards FAQ says producer Geoff Keighley did not vote on nominees or winners.
What were the 2025 categories?
The official nominee navigation lists these 29 categories:
- Game of the Year
- Best Game Direction
- Best Narrative
- Best Art Direction
- Best Score and Music
- Best Audio Design
- Best Performance
- Innovation in Accessibility
- Games for Impact
- Best Ongoing
- Best Community Support
- Best Independent Game
- Best Debut Indie Game
- Best Mobile Game
- Best VR / AR
- Best Action Game
- Best Action / Adventure
- Best RPG
- Best Fighting
- Best Family
- Best Sim / Strategy
- Best Sports / Racing
- Best Multiplayer
- Best Adaptation
- Most Anticipated Game
- Content Creator of the Year
- Best Esports Game
- Best Esports Athlete
- Best Esports Team
Who were the Game of the Year nominees, and who won?
The six nominees for Game of the Year were:
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
- Donkey Kong Bananza
- Hades II
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 won Game of the Year.
Where are the nominees for the other categories?
The category names above establish the full award slate, but the available verified nominee information here does not provide complete rosters for the other 28 categories. Their nominees should be checked category by category on The Game Awards’ official nominee pages rather than reconstructed from memory. No unverified names are included here.
Which games were eligible?
The FAQ set the general eligibility cutoff at games available for public consumption on or before Friday, November 21, 2025, at 9 p.m. PT. It said games released on or after November 22, 2024, were first eligible for the 2025 awards. Older games could also qualify in a category if the jury judged new content, improvements or service updates worthy of consideration.
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