Why GOTY May Not Be as Clear-Cut as You Think

2025’s Game Awards ceremony is rapidly approaching, and while some fans might consider Sandfall Interactive’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as the clear-cut Game of the Year winner, it may not be that simple. Earlier this year, Warhorse Studios launched Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 to strong critical acclaim, with critics praising the improvements made to its predecessor’s formula, its scope, and its ambitious choice-driven narrative. While it currently sits 4 points lower than Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 on Metacritic, that doesn’t necessarily guarantee it will walk away with Game of the Year.

It is worth noting that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has already broken a record for receiving the most Game Awards nominations in a single year, beating God of War Ragnarok and The Last of Us: Part 2, which were previously tied at 11 for the most nominations. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, on the other hand, has only received three nominations — Best RPG, Best Narrative, and Game of the Year. That alone might be enough to make fans think Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 already has Game of the Year in the bag, but again, it’s not always that simple with the Game Awards.

God of War Ragnarok Had a Similar Battle With Elden Ring in 2022

Firstly, a look at God of War Ragnarok‘s Game Awards battle with Elden Ring in 2022 can give more insight as to why the race for Game of the Year in 2025 isn’t as straightforward as it seems. As previously mentioned, God of War Ragnarok received a record-tying 11 Game Awards nominations in 2022, whereas Elden Ring received only 8. Of those nominations, God of War Ragnarok took home 6 wins, while Elden Ring walked away with 4. Judging by those numbers alone, one might think God of War Ragnarok to be the “better” game and therefore the one worthy of Game of the Year.

Surprisingly, however, that wasn’t the case. Elden Ring won Game of the Year in 2022, despite having fewer nominations and fewer wins. In fact, leaving Game of the Year out of conversation, Elden Ring only won 3 awards to God of War Ragnarok‘s 6, and yet that didn’t matter in the end. As the 2022 Game Awards went on, it looked increasingly certain that God of War Ragnarok would actually beat Elden Ring in their apparent head-to-head battle for Game of the Year. But again, that’s not how the story ended.

Of course, Elden Ring‘s Metascore was two points higher than God of War Ragnarok‘s, but its User Score on Metacritic was only a tenth of a point higher, making the potential winner even less clear-cut. The question, then, is how God of War Ragnarok managed to walk away with more awards and yet failed to win Game of the Year. And the answer comes down to the complexity of the Game Awards.

Part of the reason the outcome wasn’t obvious in 2022 is because the Game Awards don’t rely on a single voting group. The winners are chosen through a mix of media-outlet jury voting and public voting, with the jury carrying the bulk of the weight. That structure means the most decorated game on the night isn’t always the one that claims the final prize. And it also means that broad critical consensus, fan enthusiasm, and the industry’s overall perception of a game all feed into the result in different ways.

Don’t Write Off Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Just Yet

Now, the same dynamic that was at play in 2022 has returned in 2025, with the battle now being primarily between Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. They aren’t the only two Game of the Year nominees, but they do seem to be the two most likely to win among the rest of the group for a number of reasons.

Here is the full list of 2025 Game of the Year nominees:

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 — Sandfall Interactive / Kepler Interactive
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach — Kojima Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment
• Donkey Kong Bananza — Nintendo EPD / Nintendo
• Hades 2 — Supergiant Games
• Hollow Knight: Silksong — Team Cherry
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 — Warhorse Studios / Deep Silver

One reason Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 might still have what it takes to walk away with Game of the Year in 2025 over Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is because it recently came in second place for Ultimate Game of the Year at this year’s Golden Joystick Awards — right behind its rival. The same thing happened to God of War Ragnarok at the 2022 Golden Joystick Awards, as it was the runner-up for Ultimate Game of the Year, losing only to Elden Ring. However, a Golden Joystick Awards win doesn’t always guarantee a Game Awards win.

For example, in 2024, Black Myth: Wukong took home Ultimate Game of the Year at the Golden Joystick Awards, and yet not only did it only win 2 of its 5 nominations at the Game Awards, it also lost Game of the Year to Astro Bot. As such, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 might have taken home the ultimate prize at this year’s Golden Joystick Awards, but Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 could still surprise at the Game Awards in December by coming out on top.

It might not even be a surprise to some, though, as Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 has plenty of fans who have played both it and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 still saying that KCD2 should walk away with Game of the Year. One post by Reddit user Rikari77 suggests as much, and many of the comments in the thread below are in agreement.

All of this said, at the end of the day, both games bring something memorable to the table, and both have made a strong case for why they deserve the industry’s top honor in 2025. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 may have the numbers and momentum heading into the ceremony, but Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 has the critical support, fan passion, and underdog energy that often make the final vote more interesting than expected. Whether it wins or not, it has already positioned itself as one of the standout releases of the year. And with a voting process determined by both critics and players, there is still room for an outcome that goes against early expectations when the 2025 Game Awards take place in December.

Released

February 4, 2025

ESRB

Mature 17+ / Use of Alcohol, Blood and Gore, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity

Developer(s)

Warhorse Studios