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Ontos is our next new game reveal
Ontos is a spiritual successor to cult sci-fi-horror game Soma, which appears to be enough information to have sold by colleague, Ryan Epps, on playing!
We’ve already seen some quirky game titles today, but Coven of the Chicken Foot has to be the most bizarre yet. It’s got a vibrant aesthetic and looks like a puzzle-action game. You can wishlist on Steam now, I might have to just for the name!
4 Loop, a new game from JJ Abrams and PlayStation
I thought we might see something new from PlayStation, and it looks like I was right (pat on the back for me). The game is called 4 Loop, and JJ Abrams is involved. It appears to be an online co-op game (I think?) with a quirky sci-fi tone. I’m not super sold, but with the recent success of ARC Raiders, it too might be able to find a space in the increasingly crowded live service battlegrounds.
WINNER: Jennifer English wins Best Performance for Clair Obscur
The second (And I’ll say now, won’t be last) award for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Jennifer English wins Best Performance for her incredible work as Maelle, hugely well deserved, her voice brought that compelling character to life masterfully.
Well that was one INTENSE trailer for Divinity
This trailer is brutal. People are being burned at the stake, and I’m a little freaked out. But also, I definitely want to play this game! It looks like the rumors were true, it’s the new game from Baldur’s Gate 3 dev Larian, and it’s called Divinity (as the European trademark filing spoiled, thanks European trademark board)!
Looks like the mystery of the statue is being revealed next
After a few ads for Capcom games, Battlefield Redsec and John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando The Video Game, Geoff confirms it’s time to put an end to gaming’s most controversial mystery. I think this is the big statue reveal we’ve been waiting for. Will it be Divinity as I predicted earlier?
Star Wars Knight of the Old Republic is BACK
Bingo! I was spot on, Star Wars Fate of the Old Republic has just been announced, it appears to be a follow-up to the beloved Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic RPG, and as Geoff said, “it’s going to be hard to top that one”.
Our first world premiere of The Game Awards 2025
And here we go, it’s time for the first reveal of The Game Awards 2025, and I’m getting a HUGE Star Wars vibe from the opening moments of this trailer…
WINNER: Hades 2 wins Best Action Game
The hellishly good (that’s a term right?) Hades 2 just scooped Best Action Game in the first award of the main event. Hades 2 is also up for Game of the Year, and got perfect scores from several outlets, so this one feels very well deserved.
I think we’ll be seeing Diablo tonight…
In all the madness of the pre-show and build-up, you might have missed that the official Diablo social account took to X to tease that “death has arrived” in L.A.
I think we’re going to be seeing something from Diablo over the next couple of hours!
Geoff has taken to the stage
The man himself, Geoff Keighley has taken to the Game Awards stage. First up he thanks all the watches at home, including those in Europe staying up late for the showcase, and I feel seen!
Now it’s time for the REAL show
The pre-show is over, and now we’re heading into the real deal, it’s time for The Game Awards 2025! The show begins with a performance from one of the tracks from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s soundtrack, and it’s a pretty magical moment.
WINNER: The Last of Us season 2 wins Best Adaptation
The Last of Us season 2 picks up Best Adaptation, and as somebody who was very unimpressed by the HBO show’s take on one of my favorite video games of all time, I’ll just say, it certainly wouldn’t have been mine pick of the award…
Another new game confirmed
Stupid Never Dies! is the last reveal of the pre-show, and it looks well a little stupid, to be honest It’s a zombie guy with a colorful style, not sure it’s for me, but if you like the undead mixed with over the top humor, you might like it!
Bradley the Badger looks like silly fun
Another new game, and it’s Bradley the Badger. I’m getting some big Conkers vibe from this colorful looking title, and that’s certainly not a bad thing.
The first (of likely many) awards for Clair Obscur Expedition 33
It’s predicted to be the big winner of the night, and Clair Obscur Expedition 33 has already scooped it’s first statue of the evening, Best Independent Game. There was so controversy about it being eligible for this category, but it’s not a huge surprise to see it picking up the win. I doubt it’ll be it’s only of the night.
Pragmata is getting a demo today
Capcom is getting the stage next as we see the latest from its upcoming sci-fi game Pragmata! It’s releasing on April 24, 2026, and it’s now been announced for Nintendo Switch 2. So you can save the world on your handheld device!
WINNER: Doom The Dark Ages wins Best Accessibility
Accessibility is a increasingly important topic in gaming, and Doom the Dark Ages takes home this award!
Winner: Donkey Kong Bananza wins Best Family Game
Right after our first new trailer, we get our first winner of the night, and it’s a pretty predictable one, Donkey Kong Bananza wins Best Family Game. This one was I had in my Game Awards pool, so I’m pretty pleased to start off strong.
The first announcement of the night is..
The Free Shepherd, a new indie game coming to PS5 in 2027, and it looks like you play as an adorable dog in a mysterious, somewhat spooky, open world
The countdown to launch has begun
If you haven’t already, now is the time to boot up your stream of The Game Awards 2025 (But if you can’t watch along, you’re in the right place, as I’ll bring you all the news as it happens live). The Game Awards 2025 stream is LIVE, and the five minute countdown timer is underway. This year’s show is almost here…
There’s time for one last prediction
Now that we’re just a few minutes away from the pre-show, and the start of The Game Awards 2025, I’m throwing out one last prediction. Although, this one is more of a hopeful wish than something I’m confident will actually happen.
I have a feeling we might see something new from PlayStation Studios tonight. We already know that Saros, the spiritual follow-up to 2021’s Returnal, is going to be featured with a new look, and last year Naughty Dog took to the Game Awards stage to announce its new game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.
It’s clear that Sony likes revealing things at this show, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed the iconic PlayStation logo pops up at the 2025 Game Awards as well.
15 minutes until (pre)showtime!!!
Hey all, it’s Rory here. I’m back online, refreshed and ready to guide you through The Game Awards 2025 from start to finish. The pre-show starts in just 30 minutes, which will give some winners in a few of the (smaller) categories, and our very first reveals and new trailers. So, if you haven’t already, now is the time to get your snacks and drinks ready, as The Game Awards 2025 are about to begin…
What are you interested in?
Outside of the Awards themselves, we expect to see a ton of trailers, previews and fluffy interviews.
Is there anything that you’re excited to see or want to know more about? Let us know, we want to hear your opinion as well.
The Game Awards Pre-Show kicks off soon
The livestream for The Game Awards is supposed to start at 4 pm PT/7 pm PT/12 am UK. That’s 10 minutes from now.
I’m not sure if it will just be a 10 minute countdown or if there will be videos or interviews beforehand. Usually, Geoff Keighley shows do feature something like that ahead of the main show so I’m expecting something similar but a schedule has not been released.
New Wildflower game
Wildflower Interactive is a new studio headed by Bruce Straley, formerly of Naughty Dog and the game director for the Uncharted series and The Last of Us.
The studio teased an announcement on X yesteday.
ICYMI – Just one day left until we announce our first game at #TheGameAwards 👀🕰️Subscribe for updates: https://t.co/1IMqFWYHP1 pic.twitter.com/EFyy5zeWXBDecember 10, 2025
I am a big fan of Uncharted and The Last of Us, so I’m really excited to see what Straley comes up with.
I do wonder if this is a situation where he has the magic touch or if some combination of him, Amy Hennig, and Neil Druckmann helped push those Naughty Dog games to their heights. We shall see.
Tom’s Guide Awards coming soon
Did you know that Tom’s Guide puts together our own Game Awards list? We do!
Gamers from across our masthead debated and chose from games that we actually played this year. That list will be launching in the coming days.
In the meantime, you should check out the winners of the best games from 2024. Plus, we also highlighted 13 games that you may have missed last year.
A little less than two hours to show time
We’re less than two hours until show time. Pre show kicks off in less than 90 minutes.
The livestream will be available on YouTube, Twitch, Steam, Prime Video, X, TikTok, Instagram, Kick, Gamespot and IGN. The full list is here.
Or you can scroll up to the top of this nice little live blog and find the YouTube stream embedded.
So what awards won’t Clair Obscur win
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has been nominated for 11 awards at the show tonight, the most ever by one game at the Game Awards. It’s expected to handily win several of them, if not all.
There are 20 awards that don’t feature the popular RPG. A full list of which you can find here.
Indie games strike big at the Games Awards Show
If you’re looking for an interesting read before the Awards Show starts might I suggest this article from Bloomberg.
It explores how lower-budget titles are seeing big wins and acclaim from the industry and players alike. Just as major studios have been slashing jobs and closing studios left and right in an attempt to…make more money somehow.
It also features interviews with people across the industry who claim that AAA titles will decline over the next few years. We’ll see.
Tomb Raider Catalyst leak
As mentioned in my last post, something Tomb Raider is supposed to be announced at the Game Awards.
Now we might know the title thanks to a leak: Tomb Raider Catalyst. According to a Reddit post in the Tomb Raider subreddit, two new titles are coming: a remake and an original game.
The remake titled ‘Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis’ appears to be a remake of the original Lara Croft game. This one is supposedly going to be a “unified” retelling that combines the original story with characters and plots from the Survivor trilogy.
Tomb Raider: Catalyst looks to be a new game following Croft through Northern India after a “mythical cataclysm.”
Color me interested
Scott swinging through
Hey, this is Scott Younker, West Coast Reporter, subbing in for Dave to talk about the Game Awards and bring you any news or rumors as we get closer to the event.
Speaking of, the livestream kicks off in less than two hours, though the show won’t start until 4:30 p.m. PT/7:30 p.m. ET/12:30A UK.
A new era of Tmb Raider is supposed to be announced tonight, which I’m personally excited for even if I did burn out on the last trilogy.
No Witcher 3 DLC… Sorry fans
The Witcher 3 is one of my favorite games of all time, and getting some new content to bridge the gap before the next game (presumably called The Witcher 4) would be nice.
Recently, a leak from a reliable industry insider, RockAlone2k, said CD Projekt Red would announce new content at The Game Awards, but that appears to be inaccurate.
During an investor call, CD Projekt Red joint CEO Michał Nowakowski said that the studio would not have any new content at this year’s show, ending the speculation.
Or does the company just want to preserve the surprise? We’ll find out soon, but it’s unlikely that Nowakowski would lie on an investor call about something as significant as that.
Wholesome excitement
We’re deeply honored that HADES II is in the running for Game of the Year and more at #TheGameAwards tonight, especially since we’re in the company of such an amazing group of wildly different and beautiful games.
Congratulations to all our fellow nominees — we salute you!! 🙏👏— @supergiantgames.bsky.social (@supergiantgames.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2025-12-11T21:00:28.841Z
Supergiant Games, developer of Hades 2, has shared a heartfelt message on Bluesky ahead of The Game Awards.
The developer even shared a cute image showing the characters from some of the Game of the Year nominees on the red carpet. It’s adorable and wholesome, and it makes us even more excited to tune in to tonight’s shows.
The company’s social media post finishes off with, “Congratulations to all our fellow nominees — we salute you!! 🙏👏”
Wait, a trailer costs how much?!
According to a Kotaku report, having a trailer on The Game Awards is expensive. Really expensive.
According to two of Kotaku’s sources familiar with this year’s show, a one-minute trailer can cost up to $450,000 and a three-minute trailer costs over $1 million. For small developers, that three-minute trailer is probably out of reach. Even $450,000 is a lot for a developer who spends only a couple of hundred thousand on their entire development cost.
But that extra cost comes with extra eyeballs. The Game Awards continue to grow each year and have become a primary promotional platform for upcoming video games. You could even argue that the trailers are a bigger part of The Game Awards than the awards themselves.
I’m not suggesting that it should be cheaper — the video game world converging on one event is expensive. But it is unfortunate that smaller developers are left out of the event unless they can scrape together some serious money.
Spotify and The Game Awards
Spotify teamed up with The Game Awards to spotlight the composers and songs that define the gaming experience.
“To get in the game, we’ve commissioned three brand-new Spotify Singles from artists who are also avid gamers,” said Spotify in a blog post. It’s an interesting mix with Labrinth reimagining a Sonic song, Bilmuri playing a song from Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, and Evanescence and GUNSHIP teaming up to play a track from Devil May Cry.
If you want to check it out,
007 did an oops?
A trailer for the upcoming 007 First Light game from Hitman developer IO hit the internet today, but was quickly deleted (the trailer above isn’t the leaked one).
Clearly, someone pulled the trigger on that one before they were supposed to. But as is always the case on the internet, people noticed immediately, and word spread fast.
With the accidental trailer hitting the internet, we can assume it’ll show up at The Game Awards tonight, especially because the 007 game is scheduled to hit the market in just a few months on March 27, 2026.
Assassin’s Creed at The Game Awards
I’ve been an Assassin’s Creed fan since the first game, and I really peaked during the AC2 era with Ezio. Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag was also among my favorite games in the series, as it introduced some of the best ship combat in gaming history.
Now, there’s a rumor floating around that Ubisoft may rerelease Black Flag under the title “Black Flag Resynced,” as shown on the PEGI ratings board. The information was deleted quickly, but once the internet got hold of it, the rumors started flying.
The board didn’t specifically mention The Game Awards, but it would make sense for Ubisoft to announce the remake there, as it’ll have the attention of a large portion of the gaming world.
MASSIVE breaking news from Geoff Keighley
I can’t believe what I just read on X. There will be game announcements tonight at The Game Awards. I’m so glad he cleared that up; otherwise, we probably wouldn’t have known this was happening.
Jokes aside, The Game Awards will most certainly have some big game news coming out of it. There’s a lot of speculation regarding what games will be announced, and some big leaks like Lara Croft’s presence, but we’ll have to wait until the show to get confirmation of what is coming.
No matter how you slice it, it’s an exciting evening to be a gamer!
The Game Awards temperature check
I’m curious how many of you are excited for the Game Awards and whether you plan to watch the show live, follow along but not watch, or ignore it completely.
If you’d like your voice to be heard, please vote in the poll below, and I’ll let you know where everyone stands once the dust settles (or you can make a Tom’s Guide account to find out the results right away).
Dave tagging in
This is Dave LeClair, Senior News Editor, tagging in for Rory to discuss the Game Awards and bring you the latest details and rumors as we approach the event so Rory can take a breather.
And no, I personally don’t see Half-Life 3 ever happening, not at the awards show tonight or in the future. But in the world of video games, you just never know.
What time do the Game Awards 2025 start?
- 4:30 p.m. PT – U.S. (Pacific)
- 7:30 p.m. ET – U.S. (Eastern)
- 12:30 a.m. GMT (Dec. 12) – U.K.
- 9:30 a.m. JST (Dec. 12) – Japan
- 11:30 a.m. AEST (Dec. 12) – Australia
Want to make sure you don’t miss a moment of The Game Awards 2025? Above I’ve listed the show’s start time. It’s well-timed for the folks in the U.S., naturally, as it’s an awards show held in North America, but for those in Europe, expect a late night. I’m sure it’ll be worth the lost sleep!
This Game Awards ‘hype trailer’ will get you… hyped
At the start of the week, Geoff Keighley posted a “hype trailer” for the Game Awards 2025, running through some of the best moments of the 2025 nominees. And kudos to Mr. Keighley because it certainly does its job, and then some.
I’m of the opinion that 2025 has been a slightly weaker year for gaming compared to the excellent few years we’ve recently enjoyed (2023 was a real corker), but it’s a great reminder that we’ve been treated to some great gaming experiences over the past 12 months. Give it a watch, and let the hype build.
I’m desperate to see more of The Duskbloods
Let’s dive into my own personal wishlist for The Game Awards 2025. The one game that I’m really hoping is included in the numerous trailers coming us our is a new look at The Duskbloods.
This Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive comes from Dark Souls and Elden Ring developer FromSoftware, and as somebody who’s fallen in love with From’s work over the past three years (sorry, it took me so long to warm up to Souls), I can’t wait to dive into their new PvPvE experience.
With an aesthetic that looks more than a little reminiscent of their 2015 game Bloodborne (the studio’s magnum opus to many From fans), I can’t wait to see more from The Duskbloods. It’s confirmed to launch in 2026, so it feels like the right time to get a fresh peak at the game, maybe even a hard release date?
This Game Award winner looks like a complete lock
Returning to the awards part of the Game Awards, while several categories will no doubt be fiercely contested (I’m really not sure who will scoop Best Art Direction), there’s one that looks very easy to predict: Most Anticipated Game.
This award looks to the future and picks an upcoming title that gamers around the world can’t wait to play. The nominees include highly anticipated releases like Marvel’s Wolverine and The Witcher IV, but surely, the award is Rockstar’s to lose. Grand Theft Auto VI is set to be the biggest entertainment launch in history, and the launch of a new GTA is a special thing because they happen so rarely.
I will be stunned if Geoff Keighley is calling out any name other than GTA 6 when the Most Anticipated Game award is dished out.
Resident Evil 9’s big surprise may have been leaked
We know that Resident Evil Requiem is going to be showcased at The Game Awards 2025, but thanks to a PlayStation Store listing, the big surprise of this new trailer might have just been spoiled (news comes via GamesRadar).
The listing image for Resi 9 was recently updated on the PlayStation Store, and it now includes none other than Leon S. Kennedy himself. His inclusion in the upcoming survival-horror game has been rumored for a while, but this essentially confirms it. But will he be playable or just a mentor to new playable protagonist, Grace Ashcroft?
Leon is a fan-favorite character and star of arguably the most beloved installment in the series, Resident Evil 4, so I’ve no doubt Resi players will be pleased (after all, I’m a huge Resident Evil fan myself, and I’m certainly happy).
We don’t know for sure, but it’s a very safe prediction at this point that whatever Capcom has to show Game Awards viewers tonight will include Leon!
Did Valve finally learn to count to 3?
No bamboozle. We might actually be merely a few hours from the reveal of Half-Life 3. Since the release of Half-Life 2: Episode Two in October 2007, it’s become the gaming white whale for millions of players, and part of a long-running joke that Valve can’t count to three (the Portal franchise also went dormant after Portal 2).
But this year, the internet noise and unverified insider leaks that point towards Half-Life 3 being real, and maybe even coming soon, have been more prominent than ever. There was much speculation that Valve might confirm the game alongside the announcement of its new Steam Machine. That didn’t happen.
However, the hardware is set to launch in 2026, and it stands to reason that Valve would want a flagship game to showcase its new machine. Could that be Half-Life 3? Fans have been burnt before, so I wouldn’t place a bet on it appearing tonight, but for now, I’m dreaming of a world where Half-Life 3 is confirmed.
Lara Croft will appear at Game Awards 2025
One of gaming’s biggest icons is confirmed to make an appearance at The Game Awards 2025: Lara Croft.
The franchise’s official social media accounts took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce that the show will include “a look at the future” of the Tomb Raider series. Rumors have been flying around about a new Tomb Raider game for a while, so that will likely be the announcement (though it could be an update on the upcoming Prime Video show, which stars Sophie Turner as Lara Croft).
The last mainline Tomb Raider game was Shadow of the Tomb Raider, released in 2018, which capped off the popular “survivor” reboot trilogy. Will the next Tomb Raider game be a continuation, a fresh reboot, or maybe even a remake of one of Croft’s classic adventures? We’ve only got to wait a few hours to find out.
These are the 6 games up for GOTY
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Donkey Kong Bananza
- Hades 2
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Kingdom Come Deliverance 2
Like most awards show, there is one prize that every developer wants to win most, and at The Game Awards, that is Game of the Year. The six nominees are listed above. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the bookie’s favorite, and it has a record-setting 13 nominations, so the odds of it walking home empty handed are pretty remote. However, Donkey Kong Bananza looks the most likely to put off an upset, but if I was putting my own money on a winner, I’d say Clair Obscur.
The secret of the desert statue may have been solved
If you’ve been following along with the pre-show hype surrounding The Game Awards 2025, you’ll know the online gaming community has been in a frenzy trying to work out what new game a mysterious statue placed in the Mojave Desert is teasing.
There have been plenty of guesses and theories, from Saros to Lords of the Fallen 2 to Elder Scrolls Online. Then we also had theories about why it had to be for Diablo 4 DLC, or a new FromSoftware title, or even a new God of War game. And those are just the tip of the iceberg. There have been so many predictions.
However, it appears that the internet may have cracked the code, as reported by our friends over at PC Gamer, a European trademark filing might have just spoiled the surprise. Here’s your spoiler warning, if you want to keep the mystery alive until it’s revealed during the Game Awards 2025…
It appears that the statue is for the latest game from Larian, developer of Baldur’s Gate 3. Based on the trademark filing, which includes a logo that matches up with images on the statue, it’ll be a new game in the studio’s long-running Divinity series. And it might be a new reboot just called Divinity.
Welcome to The Game Awards 2025 live
Hello! Welcome to our live coverage of The Game Awards 2025. I’m Rory, a Senior Entertainment Editor at Tom’s Guide, and I’ll be guiding you through the biggest night in gaming, with some help from my fellow gaming-obsessed colleagues. Showtime is still several hours away, but we’ve got plenty of rumors, leaks, and maybe even a prediction or two to dive into to help pass the time until the awards begin live, so let’s get started…
