2025 will be remembered as one of gaming’s most unpredictable and rewarding years. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, a debut RPG from French studio Sandfall Interactive, swept The Game Awards with nine victories including Game of the Year, beating juggernauts like Hades 2, Ghost of Yotei, and Hollow Knight: Silksong. But the year’s story extends far beyond one game’s dominance. From Nintendo’s Switch 2 launch delivering instant classics like Donkey Kong Bananza and Mario Kart World, to surprise indie sensations like Blue Prince, to massive sequels like Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 and Arc Raiders, 2025 offered something special for every type of player.
What made 2025 remarkable wasn’t just the quality but the diversity. Extraction shooters reached new heights, roguelikes evolved in unexpected directions, open-world adventures pushed technical boundaries, and indie developers proved once again that small teams with big ideas can compete with AAA blockbusters. Looking back at the games that defined the year reveals an industry firing on all cylinders, delivering experiences that will influence game design for years to come.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Makes History
No discussion of 2025 can begin anywhere except Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Sandfall Interactive’s debut game launched in April 2025 and immediately captured the gaming world’s attention with its Belle Époque-inspired setting, turn-based combat with real-time action elements, and stunning visual design. The game follows expeditions into a cursed world where the Paintress marks a number each year, causing everyone of that age to vanish. Players join Expedition 33, desperately trying to stop her before the number reaches zero.
At The Game Awards 2025, Clair Obscur achieved something unprecedented: winning nine out of ten categories it was nominated in, including Game of the Year, Best Game Direction, Best Narrative, Best Art Direction, Best Score and Music, Best Independent Game, Best Debut Indie Game, and Best RPG. Jennifer English won Best Performance for her role in the game. Only one category eluded the sweep, making it the most dominant Game Awards performance in history, surpassing even Baldur’s Gate 3’s 2023 showing.
However, controversy followed success. In late December 2025, The Indie Game Awards stripped Clair Obscur of its wins after producer François Meurisse admitted in a July interview that the team used “some AI, but not much.” Blue Prince inherited the Indie Game of the Year title, while Sorry We’re Closed received the Debut Game award. Despite this setback, Clair Obscur’s impact on 2025 gaming remains undeniable. The game currently holds a 10/10 score from multiple major outlets and sits as Steam’s highest-rated Game Awards nominee.
Hades 2 Emerges From Early Access
Supergiant Games’ first-ever sequel launched in full release on September 25, 2025, after spending over a year in early access. Hades 2 faced enormous pressure following its predecessor’s perfect 10/10 status as one of gaming’s greatest roguelikes, and somehow managed to meet those sky-high expectations. The game replaces protagonist Zagreus with his sister Melinoë, a witch seeking to rescue her family from Chronos, the Titan of Time who has conquered the Underworld.
Reviews praised Hades 2’s impeccable combat, flawless characterization across a huge roster, and ambitious scope that’s at least twice as large as the original. GameSpot awarded it a perfect 10/10, noting that it “builds on a strong foundation but adds to it with nuanced storytelling, captivating combat, and improvements across the board.” The expanded cast featuring gods like Hephaestus and Hestia provides even more build variety, while Melinoë’s witchy abilities like area-of-effect Casts create new tactical possibilities.
Not all reviews were flawless. Some critics noted uneven difficulty spikes in the mid-game, with certain boss fights feeling disproportionately challenging even with powerful builds. Kotaku’s review highlighted “overemphasis on fussy resources” and “tedious writing” as missteps compared to the original’s tighter design. Despite these criticisms, Hades 2 finished as runner-up for IGN’s Game of the Year and remains one of 2025’s highest-rated releases across all platforms.
Ghost of Yotei Defines PlayStation’s Year
Sucker Punch Productions’ standalone sequel to Ghost of Tsushima launched on October 2, 2025, exclusively for PlayStation 5, and immediately justified Sony’s decision to keep it first-party. Set in 1603 in Ezo (modern-day Hokkaido), Ghost of Yotei follows Atsu, a mercenary seeking vengeance against the Yotei Six who slaughtered her family sixteen years prior. The game abandons Jin Sakai’s story entirely, creating a fresh narrative that explores different aspects of feudal Japanese culture and mythology.
GamesRadar ranked it seventh among 2025’s best games, calling it “a defining system showcase” that pushes PS5 hardware in ways few games have managed five years into the console’s lifecycle. The boundary-pushing open world features improved weather systems, more detailed environmental interactions, and combat refinements that make every duel feel cinematic. Special edition PS5 consoles launched alongside the game, featuring kintsugi-inspired designs with gold accents across white bases, mirroring Atsu’s onryō mask.
The game wasn’t without controversy. In September 2025, Sucker Punch developer Drew Harrison posted a joke on Bluesky regarding a political assassination, triggering a harassment campaign that led to her departure from the studio. Co-founder Brian Fleming condemned the comment, and some groups threatened to boycott Ghost of Yotei. Despite the drama, the game launched to critical and commercial success, becoming one of 2025’s best-selling titles and a Game of the Year nominee at multiple award ceremonies.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Perfects Historical Accuracy
Warhorse Studios’ medieval RPG sequel launched on February 4, 2025, and immediately earned praise as one of the year’s most improved sequels. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 continues Henry’s journey through 15th century Bohemia, featuring engaging quests, thrilling combat, and an incredibly polished experience that addresses nearly every criticism leveled at the 2018 original. GameSpot awarded it a 9/10, noting that “like the best sequels, Kingdom Come 2 improves on the original game in almost every area.”
The game expertly blends choices and consequences with deep RPG elements, creating an exciting knight’s tale where surprises wait around every corner. Combat received significant overhauls, making sword fighting feel more responsive and strategic without sacrificing the weighty realism that defined the original. Quest design offers genuine branching paths where player decisions meaningfully impact outcomes, not just dialogue options that funnel toward the same conclusion.
Game Informer ranked Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 among 2025’s top ten games, and it finished as a Game of the Year nominee at The Game Awards despite facing tough competition from Clair Obscur and Hades 2. The game’s commitment to historical authenticity combined with improved accessibility features made it appeal to both hardcore simulation fans and players who bounced off the original’s unforgiving systems.
Arc Raiders Nails Extraction Shooting
Embark Studios’ extraction shooter launched on October 30, 2025, and immediately established itself as a high mark for the growing subgenre. Arc Raiders combines thrilling PvPvE action with spontaneous cooperation, creating emergent moments where enemy robots force rival player teams to temporarily work together before turning on each other. The post-apocalyptic setting features gratifying loot chases, satisfying gunplay, and a cleverly designed endgame that keeps players engaged long after understanding core mechanics.
GameSpot awarded Arc Raiders a 9/10, praising how it “combines moments of thrilling action with spontaneous cooperation that makes for an exciting journey directed by its very own community of players.” Game Informer similarly lauded it as representing the extraction shooter genre at its best, delivering immersive entertainment that justifies the tough learning curve. The game’s success proved that extraction shooters have staying power beyond just Escape from Tarkov and Hunt: Showdown.
Arc Raiders also showcased Embark’s technical prowess with Unreal Engine 5, delivering stunning visuals that highlight environmental destruction and weather effects during firefights. The game launched with robust anti-cheat systems and regional servers that addressed many complaints plaguing other extraction shooters. By year’s end, Arc Raiders maintained a healthy player population across PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
Nintendo’s Switch 2 Launches Strong
Nintendo’s successor to the Switch launched in June 2025 with two system-selling exclusives that immediately justified the hardware upgrade. Donkey Kong Bananza arrived on July 17, 2025, as the franchise’s biggest and most ambitious 3D platformer. Kotaku ranked it 12th among 2025’s best games, while YouTube roundups consistently placed it in top five discussions. The game features Donkey Kong and his crew exploring massive tropical worlds filled with creative platforming challenges, co-op gameplay supporting up to four players, and boss battles that rival anything from the Mario franchise.
Mario Kart World launched alongside the Switch 2 on June 5, 2025, delivering the largest roster and track selection in series history. The game introduces an open-world hub inspired by Mario Odyssey where players can free-roam between races, discover shortcuts, and unlock vehicle customization options. Game Informer’s 2025 roundup highlighted Mario Kart World as one of the year’s top releases, noting how it successfully evolved the formula without alienating longtime fans.
Beyond these two heavy hitters, the Switch 2 also welcomed Pokemon Legends: Z-A on October 16, 2025, bringing the Legends format to the Kalos region with a focus on Mega Evolution. While reviews were more mixed (GameSpot gave it a 7/10), the game still sold millions and demonstrated Nintendo’s commitment to supporting both Switch and Switch 2 simultaneously during the transition period.
Indie Surprises Steal the Show
Blue Prince emerged as 2025’s biggest indie surprise, launching on April 10, 2025, as a puzzle/roguelike hybrid that nobody expected to dominate conversations. Game Informer’s year-end coverage highlighted how “many of the year’s biggest indie games came out of the blue,” with Blue Prince leading that pack. After Clair Obscur lost its Indie Game Awards due to AI controversy, Blue Prince inherited the Indie Game of the Year title, cementing its status as a critical darling.
The game combines brain-teasing puzzles with roguelike structure where each run generates new challenges requiring creative solutions. Critics praised its unique art style blending hand-drawn aesthetics with 3D environments, creating a visually distinctive experience that stands out in screenshots. Steam reviews remain “Overwhelmingly Positive” months after launch, with players praising the satisfying difficulty curve and clever integration of puzzle and roguelike mechanics.
Other notable indie success stories included Schedule 1, a drug dealing simulation that somehow became Steam’s highest-rated game of 2025 with better scores than Clair Obscur. The game beat out AAA blockbusters by offering a darkly comedic take on illicit pharmaceutical distribution. Split Fiction from Hazelight Studios (It Takes Two) launched in March 2025, earning the year’s first 10/10 from GameSpot and continuing the studio’s streak of co-op masterpieces.
Action Sequels Deliver
Several major action franchises returned in 2025 with varying degrees of success. Ninja Gaiden 4 launched on October 21, 2025, bringing the mainline series back after over a decade. GameSpot noted that while “the forgettable story and one-note characters don’t do enough to propel the story forward,” the lightning-fast combat and intense boss battles justify the return. The game launched alongside Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, a 2D action title that released on July 31, 2025, offering an alternative take on the franchise’s brutal difficulty.
Borderlands 4 arrived on September 12, 2025, as one of the year’s best-selling games. While reviews hovered around 7/10, the game’s looter-shooter formula remained addictive enough to attract millions of players. Gearbox refined gunplay and introduced new Vault Hunters with unique skill trees, though critics noted the humor felt increasingly dated compared to modern sensibilities. The game still ranks among 2025’s top five best-sellers according to year-end data.
The Outer Worlds 2 launched on October 29, 2025, delivering Obsidian’s signature RPG storytelling in a larger, more polished package than the 2019 original. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach arrived June 26, 2025, exclusively for PS5, continuing Kojima’s divisive but artistically ambitious franchise. Both games earned Game of the Year nominations despite facing steep competition from Clair Obscur’s dominance.
Sports and Live Service Games
Traditional sports franchises delivered their usual annual entries with incremental improvements. NBA 2K26 earned a 10/10 from Game Informer despite the “absolute glut of content” being “impressive and intimidating all at once.” MLB The Show 25 received an 8/10 for polishing gameplay and reworking progression systems. WWE 2K25 launched with improved Showcase Mode and gameplay tweaks that made it feel like a “main-event superstar,” though critics warned players to avoid The Island social space due to egregious microtransactions.
Battlefield 6 launched on October 10, 2025, and became the year’s best-selling game despite mixed reviews hovering around 7/10. The game’s massive multiplayer battles and improved destruction physics attracted millions of players, though technical issues at launch frustrated the community. By year’s end, Battlefield 6 remained the top-selling title, holding off competition from NBA 2K26, Monster Hunter: Wilds, Borderlands 4, and EA Sports College Football 26.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 launched on November 14, 2025, and immediately topped monthly sales charts, though it ranks seventh overall for the year. Availability on Xbox Game Pass likely cannibalized full-price sales, making direct comparisons to Battlefield 6 difficult. Regardless, the franchise continues printing money for Activision despite increasingly formulaic yearly releases.
FAQs About 2025 Gaming Year
What was the Game of the Year 2025?
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 won Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2025, along with eight other awards in a historic sweep. The debut RPG from Sandfall Interactive beat Hades 2, Ghost of Yotei, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Death Stranding 2, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 for the top prize.
What was the best-selling game of 2025?
Battlefield 6 was the best-selling game of 2025, maintaining the number one position throughout the year despite launching in October. The top five best-sellers included Battlefield 6, NBA 2K26, Monster Hunter: Wilds, Borderlands 4, and EA Sports College Football 26.
When did Hollow Knight: Silksong finally release?
Hollow Knight: Silksong released in 2025 after years of delays, though exact release dates varied by source. The game became a Game of the Year nominee at The Game Awards and won Steam’s Community Game of the Year despite finishing 19th in overall Steam ratings for 2025.
Did Hades 2 leave early access in 2025?
Yes, Hades 2 launched in full release on September 25, 2025, for PC and Nintendo Switch after spending over a year in early access. The game received perfect 10/10 scores from multiple outlets and finished as runner-up for IGN’s Game of the Year behind Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
When did Nintendo Switch 2 launch?
The Nintendo Switch 2 launched in June 2025 with Mario Kart World on June 5, followed by Donkey Kong Bananza on July 17. Both games became system sellers that helped the Switch 2 achieve strong first-year sales despite launching mid-cycle.
Why did Clair Obscur lose its Indie Game Awards?
The Indie Game Awards stripped Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 of its wins in late December 2025 after producer François Meurisse admitted the team used “some AI” during development. Blue Prince inherited the Indie Game of the Year title as a result.
What was Steam’s highest-rated game of 2025?
Schedule 1, a drug dealing simulation game, achieved the highest Steam user rating of 2025, beating out Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Hades 2, and all other major releases. The indie title’s darkly comedic premise resonated strongly with PC players.
Did Ghost of Yotei have a female protagonist?
Yes, Ghost of Yotei features Atsu, a female mercenary seeking vengeance in 1603 Ezo. The game faced some pre-launch boycott threats over the protagonist choice and a developer controversy, but launched successfully in October 2025 to critical acclaim.
Conclusion
2025 will be remembered as a year when everything clicked for gaming. A debut indie RPG from France swept The Game Awards with unprecedented dominance. Supergiant Games delivered a sequel that somehow lived up to impossible expectations. Nintendo launched new hardware with instant classics. PlayStation secured exclusive showcases that pushed technical boundaries. Extraction shooters reached new creative heights. Sports franchises refined their formulas. And surprise indie hits proved that creative vision matters more than budget size. From Clair Obscur’s Belle Époque fantasy to Kingdom Come’s medieval authenticity, from Hades 2’s roguelike perfection to Arc Raiders’ extraction innovation, 2025 offered something special for every player. The controversies around AI usage in development and workplace drama briefly overshadowed celebrations, but the games themselves spoke loudly enough to drown out the noise. Looking back at 26 standout titles barely scratches the surface of what made 2025 exceptional. It was a year where long-awaited sequels finally arrived, where risky new IPs paid off spectacularly, and where gaming’s diversity of genres and styles reached new peaks. As we move into 2026, the bar has been set incredibly high. Whatever comes next will need to be truly exceptional to match what 2025 delivered.