Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 dominated The Game Awards 2025 on December 11, taking home nine awards including the prestigious Game of the Year trophy. The indie RPG from 30-person French studio Sandfall Interactive set a new record for the most wins at a single Game Awards ceremony, beating the previous record of seven held by The Last of Us Part II from 2020.
- Our GOTY 2025 Prediction Came True
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Breaks Records at The Game Awards 2025
- All Nine Awards Clair Obscur Won
- Other Major Winners at The Game Awards 2025
Our GOTY 2025 Prediction Came True
As we mentioned in our Game Awards 2025 predictions article earlier this week, we called Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as the likely winner for Game of the Year. We believed the game would beat out strong competition from Hollow Knight: Silksong and other nominees, and our prediction was spot on. The indie RPG’s combination of critical acclaim, commercial success, and genuine innovation made it the obvious choice for gaming’s biggest award.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33Breaks Records at The Game Awards2025
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 didn’t just win Game of the Year 2025, it swept nearly every category it was nominated in. The game earned a record-breaking 12 nominations heading into the show and walked away with nine wins . This is the most awards any game has ever won at a single Game Awards ceremony.
All Nine Awards Clair Obscur Won
Here’s the complete list of awards Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 took home:
- Game of the Year
- Best Game Direction
- Best Art Direction
- Best Narrative
- Best Performance (Jennifer English)
- Best Score & Music
- Best Debut Indie Game
- Best Role-Playing Game
- Best Independent Game
To thank fans for their support, Sandfall Interactive announced a free “Thank You” update that’s available now on all platforms. The update adds new environments, new bosses, and 13 new weapons for players to discover. It’s a nice gesture from a studio that just had its wildest dreams come true on gaming’s biggest stage.
Other Major Winners at The Game Awards 2025
While Clair Obscur dominated the night, other games also took home awards:
- Best Multiplayer: Arc Raiders
- Best Sports/Racing Game: Mario Kart World
- Best Community Support: Baldur’s Gate 3
- Best Audio Design: Battlefield 6
- Best Action: Hades 2
- Best Action/Adventure Game: Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Family Game: Donkey Kong Bananza
- Best Fighting Game: Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves
- Best Mobile Game: Umamusume: Pretty Derby
- Best Ongoing Game: No Man’s Sky
- Best Strategy/Sim Game: Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles
- Best AR/VR Game: The Midnight Walk
- Best Adaptation: The Last of Us Season 2
- Innovation in Accessibility: Doom: The Dark Ages
- Games for Impact: South of Midnight
- Best Esports Game: Counter-Strike 2
- Best Esports Athlete: Chovy
- Best Esports Team: Team Vitality (Counter-Strike 2)
- Content Creator of the Year: MoistCr1tikal
- Most Anticipated Game: Grand Theft Auto 6
- Players’ Voice: Wuthering Waves
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s success proves that indie studios can compete with the biggest publishers in gaming. Sandfall Interactive’s win shows that great game design, compelling stories, and artistic vision matter more than having unlimited budgets or hundreds of developers.
The Game Awards 2025 saved its biggest surprise for last. Instead of closing with a massive franchise sequel or anticipated remake, host Geoff Keighley unveiled Highguard, a brand-new fantasy hero shooter from debut studio Wildlight Entertainment. The twist? It launches in just over a month on January 26, 2026.
Who’s Making Highguard?
Wildlight Entertainment was founded in 2021 by former Respawn Entertainment developers . The studio includes 61 team members who previously worked on Apex Legends, Titanfall, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Studio co-founder and CEO Dusty Welch emphasized the team’s focus on “creating a new gaming universe of epic scale and quality,” while game director Chad Grenier highlighted a studio culture built around creative freedom and design-led decision making. After four years of quiet development, Highguard represents the team’s first project since leaving Respawn.
What is Highguard?
Highguard is a “ PvP raid shooter ” where players take on the role of Wardens – arcane gunslingers fighting for control of a mythical continent. The gameplay loop revolves around battling rival Warden crews for possession of a powerful sword called the Shieldbreaker, then using it to summon a giant battering ram to raid and destroy the enemy’s base.
The debut trailer showcased a wild blend of mechanics that mix elements from Overwatch, Paladins, and Marvel Rivals. Players leave their homebase on horseback, engage in mounted combat, and use hero abilities ranging from ground slams and electric spears to ice walls and lava summoning.
HighguardReleaseDate
Highguard launches January 26, 2026, for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S a s a free-to-play title with cross-play and cross-progression across all platforms. The short wait between announcement and release is unusual for Game Awards reveals, which typically showcase games years away from launch.
Time will tell if Highguard can turn around public perception and carve out its own space in the crowded market. With the January 26 release date approaching fast, we won’t have to wait long to find out.
