Everyone likes to be feel special and game developers are no different, so congratulations to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Ghost of Yotei, the two games absolutely dominating the Annual D.I.C.E. Award Nominations. Both games scored eight nominations each, including for Game of the Year.
Held by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences the 29th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards will take place on February 12 in Vegas, and will be hosted by Kinda Funny Games’ Greg Miller and Stella Chung.
“First, thank you to our peer panelists. Your dedication and expertise in our judging process, and yourwork in selecting the best games of 2025, is truly appreciated,” said Meggan Scavio, President of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences.
“And on behalf of all of us at the Academy, I extend my congratulations to all of our finalists. Each of these games has impressed us through its creativity,artistry, and technical achievement, and we look forward to celebrating your accomplishments at the 29th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards.”
Full list of nominations
Outstanding Achievement in Animation
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yotei
- Monster Hunter Wilds
- South of Midnight
- The Midnight Walk
Outstanding Achievement in Character
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – Esquie
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – Maelle
Dispatch – Courtney/Invisigal
Dispatch – Robert Robertson III/Mecha Man
Ghost of Yotei – Atsu
Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Ghost of Yotei
- Herdling
- Mario Kart World
- Sword of the Sea
Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design
- Arc Raiders
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yotei
- Lumines Arise
- Split Fiction
Outstanding Achievement in Story
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Consume Me
- despelote
- South of Midnight
- The Drifter
Outstanding Technical Achievement
- Arc Raiders
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Donkey Kong Bananza
- DOOM: The Dark Ages
Action Game of the Year
- Absolum
- Arc Raiders
- DOOM: The Dark Ages
- Hades II
- Ninja Gaiden 4
Adventure Game of the Year
- Blue Prince
- Dispatch
- Donkey Kong Bananza
- Ghost of Yotei
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
Family Game of the Year
- LEGO Party!
- LEGO Voyagers
- Lumines Arise
- MARVEL Cosmic Invasion
- POPUCOM
Fighting Game of the Year
- 2XKO
- Capcom Fighting Collection 2
- FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves
- Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection
- WWE 2K25
Racing Game of the Year
- EA SPORTS F1 25
- Kirby Air Riders
- Mario Kart World
- Wheel World
Role-Playing Game of the Year
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
- Monster Hunter Wilds
- The Outer Worlds 2
Sports Game of the Year
- EA SPORTS FC 26
- PGA Tour 2k25
- MLB The Show 25
- NBA 2k26
- Rematch
Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year
- The Alters
- Drop Duchy
- Europa Universalis V
- The King is Watching
- StarVaders
Immersive Reality Technical Achievement
- Ghost Town
- Hotel Infinity
- Marvel’s Deadpool VR
- Star Wars: Beyond Victory – A Mixed Reality Playset
- Unloop
Immersive Reality Game of the Year
- Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked
- Ghost Town
- Marvel’s Deadpool VR
- The Midnight Walk
- Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow
Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game
- Baby Steps
- Blue Prince
- Consume Me
- despelote
- Dispatch
Mobile Game of the Year
- Persona5: The Phantom X
- Umamusume: Pretty Derby
- WHAT THE CLASH?
- Where Winds Meet
Online Game of the Year
- Arc Raiders
- Battlefield 6
- Mario Kart World
- Marvel Rivals
- Split Fiction
Outstanding Achievement in Game Design
- Arc Raiders
- Blue Prince
- Hades II
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
- Öoo
Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction
- Blue Prince
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Ghost of Yotei
- Hades II
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
Game of the Year
- Arc Raiders
- Blue Prince
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Dispatch
- Ghost of Yotei
Rachel Weber is the Senior Editorial Director of Games at IGN and an elder millennial. She’s been a professional nerd since 2006 when she got her start on Official PlayStation Magazine in the UK, and has since worked for GamesIndustry.Biz, Rolling Stone and GamesRadar. She loves horror, horror movies, horror games, and French Bulldogs. Those extra wrinkles on her face are thanks to going time blind and staying up too late finishing every sidequest in RPGs like Fallout and Witcher 3.
