The PlayStation Blog Game of the Year Awards 2025 polls are now open and gamers can cast their vote across 19 categories. Before we dive into each category and the nominees, there are a few guidelines if you’re new to the PS Blog Game of the Year Awards. For starters, there is a write-in option for each category if none of the nominees make sense to you. These awards are strictly a popularity contest, as only votes cast by players are counted. Winners are announced in the form of PlayStation trophies: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum.
PlayStation Blog also shared some guidelines regarding some of the categories and their nominees. For the Best PS5 Game category, the nominees are defined as games that have been newly released this calendar year, rather than previously released titles with new updates. This year’s list also includes games released after the November 30, 2024 cutoff from last year. As for Best Multiplayer Experience, it focuses on titles released in 2025, while Best Ongoing Game focuses on releases that have seen new, large-scale content or game-changing updates over this past year.
There’s also a Best Rerelease category, and it refers to games that have been upgraded, ported, or remastered but are otherwise similar to their original games. That means the category doesn’t include full-scale remakes of older titles. Like last year, the cutoff for inclusion was November 30, so titles released after that date will be eligible for next year’s awards. Lastly, if a title won a Platinum Trophy in the Most Anticipated category any previous year, it isn’t eligible for inclusion this year. As a result, Grand Theft Auto VI is missing from the list of nominees, since it won the category in the 2023 awards.
PS Blog Game of the Year Awards 2025 Nominees
Best New Character
- Alma (Monster Hunter Wilds)
- Atsu (Ghost of Yōtei)
- Bai (Wuchang: Fallen Feathers)
- Hinako (Silent Hill f)
- Hornet (Hollow Knight: Silksong)
- Jan (The Alters)
- Lune (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33)
- Maelle (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33)
- Mio Hudson (Split Fiction)
- Naoe (Assassin’s Creed: Shadows)
- Nate (Baby Steps)
- Rainy (Death Stranding 2: On the Beach)
- Robert Robertson (Dispatch)
- Tomorrow (Death Stranding 2: On the Beach)
- Verso (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33)
- Yasuke (Assassin’s Creed: Shadows)
- Zoe Foster (Split Fiction)
Best Story
- 1000xResist
- Blue Prince
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Cronos: The New Dawn
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Digimon Story Time Stranger
- Dispatch
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
- Lorelei and the Laser Eyes
- Lost Records: Bloom & Rage Tape 1
- Silent Hill f
- Split Fiction
- The Midnight Walk
Best Graphical Showcase
- Arc Raiders
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows
- Battlefield 6
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
- Cronos: The New Dawn
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Doom The Dark Ages
- Dying Light: The Beast
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
- Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
Best Art Direction
- 1000xResist
- Absolum
- Blue Prince
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Little Nightmares III
- Lorelei and the Laser Eyes
- Lumines Arise
- Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater
- Rematch
- Shinobi: Art of Vengeance
- Silent Hill f
- Sword of the Sea
- The Midnight Walk
- Wheel World
Best Audio Design
- Alien: Rogue Incursion
- Arc Raiders
- Battlefield 6
- Blue Prince
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
- Cronos: The New Dawn
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Doom: The Dark Ages
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Hell Is Us
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Lumines Arise
- Silent Hill f
- The Midnight Walk
Best Soundtrack
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Cronos: The New Dawn
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Earthion
- Elden Ring Nightreign
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Lumines Arise
- Ninja Gaiden 4
- Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound
- Shinobi: Art of Vengeance
- Silent Hill f
- Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
- Sword of the Sea
Best Accessibility Features
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows
- Battlefield 6
- Borderlands 4
- Days Gone Remastered
- Doom: The Dark Ages
- EA Sports FC26
- Forza Horizon 5
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Monster Hunter Wilds
- The Outer Worlds 2
- Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
- Split Fiction
Best Use of DualSense
- Arc Raiders
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows
- Baby Steps
- Battlefield 6
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Forza Horizon 5
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
- Lost Soul Aside
- Lumines Arise
- Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater
- Monster Hunter Wilds
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
- Sword of the Sea
- The Outer Worlds 2
Best Rerelease (Remaster)
- Days Gone Remastered
- Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles
- Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered
- Lunar Remastered Collection
- Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection
- Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars
- Tales of Graces f Remastered
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
- Tomb Raider IV–VI Remastered
Best Multiplayer Experience
- Absolum
- Arc Raiders
- Battlefield 6
- Borderlands 4
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
- EA Sports FC26
- Elden Ring Nightreign
- Forza Horizon 5
- Little Nightmares III
- Lumines Arise
- Marvel Rivals
- Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind
- Monster Hunter Wilds
- Rematch
- Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
- Split Fiction
Best Ongoing Game
- Call of Duty: Warzone
- Dead by Daylight
- Destiny 2
- Final Fantasy XIV
- Fortnite
- Genshin Impact
- Gran Turismo 7
- GTA Online
- Helldivers 2
- Honkai Star Rail
- Marvel Rivals
- No Man’s Sky
- Zenless Zone Zero
Best Expansion
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows: Claws of Awaji
- Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate
- Helldivers 2: Heart of Democracy
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle – The Order of Giants
- Lies of P: Overture
- PowerWash Simulator – Wallace & Gromit Special Pack
- RoboCop: Rogue City – Unfinished Business
- Two Point Museum – Fantasy Finds
Best Sports Game
- EA Sports College Football 26
- EA Sports FC 26
- EA Sports F1 25
- Forza Horizon 5
- EA Sports Madden NFL 26
- MLB The Show 25
- NASCAR 25
- NBA 2K26
- PGA Tour 2K25
- Rematch
- Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
- WWE 2K25
Best Independent Game
- 1000xResist
- Absolum
- Baby Steps
- Ball x Pit
- Blue Prince
- Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Deltarune Chapters 3 + 4
- Dispatch
- Earthion
- Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream
- Forever Skies
- Herdling
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Lorelei and the Laser Eyes
- Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind
- Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound
- Ready or Not
- Rematch
- Sword of the Sea
- Time Flies
- Wanderstop
- Wheel World
Best PS VR2 Game
- Alien: Rogue Incursion
- Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked
- Dig VR
- Dreams of Another
- Hitman World of Assassination
- Hotel Infinity
- Lumines Arise
- Masters of Light
- Reach
- Skydance’s Behemoth
- Smash Drums
- The Midnight Walk
- Wanderer: The Fragments of Fate
- Zombie Army VR
Best PS4 Game
- Absolum
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
- Elden Ring Nightreign
- Fantasian Neo Dimension
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
- NBA 2K26
- Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound
- Shinobi: Art of Vengeance
- Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
- Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4
Best PS5 Game
- Absolum
- Arc Raiders
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows
- Baby Steps
- Battlefield 6
- Blue Prince
- Borderlands 4
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Digimon Story Time Stranger
- Doom: The Dark Ages
- Elden Ring Nightreign
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Hell Is Us
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
- Kingdom Come Deliverance II
- Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater
- Monster Hunter Wilds
- Ninja Gaiden 4
- Silent Hill f
- Split Fiction
- The Outer Worlds 2
- Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter
Studio of the Year
- AdHoc Studio
- Battlefield Studios
- Dogubomb
- FromSoftware
- Kenny Sun and Friends
- Kojima Productions
- LizardCube
- Machine Games
- Neobards
- NetEase Games
- Obsidian
- Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
- Sandfall Interactive
- Sucker Punch Productions
- Team Cherry
- Embark Studios
Most Anticipated Game of 2026 and Beyond
- 007 First Light
- Beast of Reincarnation
- Code Vein II
- Crimson Desert
- Dynasty Warriors 3: Complete Edition Remastered
- Halloween
- Halo: Campaign Evolved
- Judas
- LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight
- Marathon
- Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra
- MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls
- Marvel’s Wolverine
- Nioh 3
- Onimusha: Way of the Sword
- Phantom Blade Zero
- Pragmata
- Resident Evil Requiem
- Saros
- The Blood of Dawnwalker
- Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet
