Once again, the Game Awards are upon us! Though I have a tendency not to watch the awards, I do love seeing trailers and announcements for new games! Which, by the way, we sorely need this year, because 2025 needs some more heavy hitters – it’s looking pretty light right now.
I’m going to go category by category and give my guess as to what is going to win this year! This is a list of guesses based on the reputation of the games mostly – I have played a few, but only a few. Because of this, I wrote this article mostly for personal entertainment, and figured I’d share it to see where my predictions are on point and which ones are completely wrong. Some I am pretty confident in, some are pretty random guesses. I will be skipping Content Creator and Esports because of a lack of experience with both realms! I’ll also be skipping a few smaller categories that I have literally no opinion on (like sports/racing).
Action/Adventure: Astro Bot
I think this one is a shoe-in – the original Astro’s Playroom was already amazing, and the fact that its full-fledged sequel got insanely positive reviews is fantastic. I’m personally very excited to give this game a try, and I think it has this one locked.
Action: Stellar Blade
This one is a toss-up between Wukong, Helldivers 2 and Stellar Blade. I guessed Stellar Blade because I don’t think it’s going to win anything else? Stellar Blade might not be the most likely option for this category, but this category is the most likely option for a game that has great action sequences but sells itself on that and a copious amount of fanservice.
Fighting: Tekken 8
This one might be MultiVersus – that’s the only other one that has a shot (except maybe Dragon Ball). Tekken carries a ton of weight and this game was apparently great so I think it has a solid chance of taking home this award.
Best Multiplayer: Helldivers 2
Helldivers 2 had such great reviews when it dropped – I have a feeling it will take home the multiplayer award this year! I don’t think CoD is vying for this award this time – Helldivers was innovative and fascinating, and CoD is a dime-a-dozen (or seventy bucks for one if you’re buying new) nowadays.
Debut Indie: Balatro
I mean… these other indies are good. But Balatro is in a league of its own this year. I don’t think there’s a contest here.
Best VR/AR: Batman – Arkham Shadow
I haven’t heard a ton about the other games here, but I’m going to take a shot in the dark and guess that Arkham Shadow has this in the bag.
Most Anticipated: GTA VI
Another place where there is likely no competition. The runner-up is Metroid Prime 4 – that one has a chance of being a dark horse candidate here, but GTA is such a household name that I think 6 is going to take the award. I personally would be very happy if Prime 4 wins, as I do not care about GTA VI.
RPG: Final Fantasy 7 – Rebirth
Spoiler alert – I don’t think this game is taking home the GOTY. But I do think it’s going to grab this award. Dragon’s Dogma 2 was not universally praised enough, and Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is DLC for another RPG.
Community Support: Baldur’s Gate 3
Last year’s GOTY is returning for another nomination for Community Support. This game’s modding community is massive, and Larion has provided a ton of resources for modders to create fantastic additional content. All of these games have a shot of winning this one though – the nominations are very strong.
Family: Astro Bot
Another shoe-in for Astro Bot here – it is the most universally acclaimed game on the list here, and I think it is going to be an easy win for the little robotic PS5 mascot.
Sim: Frostpunk 2
There were three super strong sims this year – Age of Mythology: Retold, Frostpunk 2, and Manor Lords. I don’t know the other two as much, but they might also be solid. It’s stiff competition, and I have no idea who is going to win, but I think Frostpunk 2 has a solid shot at taking home the award.
Art Direction: Shadow of the Erdtree
I’m actually pretty confident in this one – if Elden Ring’s masterful DLC is going to win any award, it will be Art Direction. It is just such a beautiful game – its aesthetics are masterful.
Mobile: Zenless Zone Zero
This one could be any of the five here, but I think ZZZ is going to be the winner. The most recent addition to the Hoyoverse which brought us Star Rail and of course Genshin Impact received a ton of excellent reviews when it came out, and has continued going strong. I am pretty confident on this guess.
Best Narrative: Senua’s Saga – Hellblade 2
I’m not sure here, but both Hellblades have excellent narratives and, like Stellar Blade, I think this is the only award Hellblade 2 has a shot at.
Best Performance: Life is Strange – Double Exposure
Not much to say here, I’ve played none of these games, but the Life is Strange series has a tendency to grab great voice actors. Figured I’d take a shot at a guess here!
Best Score: Final Fantasy 7 – Rebirth
Final Fantasy 7’s soundtrack is immaculate, and the remastered version for this release is amazing. It might not win, but I hope it does!
Best Audio Design: Call of Duty – Black Ops 6
I think this is the only award that Black Ops 6 will take home – these games tend to have excellent audio design, so it has a good shot here.
Adaptation: Arcane (Season 2)
This one is a toss-up between Arcane and Fallout. If the award is going to an original story, Fallout will take it. If the award is based on critical reception, Arcane Season 2 will. Though I have my own feelings about this season and believe Fallout likely deserves it this year, I do think Arcane will take this home again.
Best Ongoing: Diablo IV
This is a tough one. I chose Diablo IV because of how active the content releases have been, but I think FFXIV has a good chance of taking this one home also.
Game Direction: Elden Ring – Shadow of the Erdtree
Another award that Elden Ring’s DLC has a great chance of snagging, though Black Myth: Wukong might take this home also (it was nominated for a ton of awards).
Game of the Year: Balatro
This year has… not been a great year for games. There haven’t been many strong releases all across the board, and the GOTY candidates are… okay? The only ones that are really truly candidates are Astro Bot, Balatro, and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Nominating Elden Ring – Shadow of the Erdtree, in my opinion, is not a healthy precedent to set. DLC should not be nominated for Game of the Year. So these three are the most likely choices. Balatro has received such universal acclaim that I think it will be taking home Game of the Year this year, which would be wild because the GOTY award does not often go to an indie, much less one that was so niche upon its release. But Balatro deserves this award, and I hope it takes it home.
Final Thoughts
I am looking forward to the reveals during this awards show! Hoping for a stacked release calendar for next year. My list here is based off very little data, but I am very curious to see how many I got right! I might release a brief article after the awards about which ones were right and wrong, and wrapping up any announcements that I find particularly exciting.
A Thinker in Space 
What do you think?