Why Team Cherry Thinks Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Will Win Game Awards 2025 Game Of The Year

Summary:

The Game Awards 2025 are almost here, with the show set to air live from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on 11 December and a Game of the Year line up that feels packed from top to bottom. Hollow Knight Silksong finally made it to release and straight onto the shortlist, yet the team behind it is surprisingly relaxed about the idea of victory. In a fresh Bloomberg interview, Team Cherry explains that they do not expect to walk away with the trophy and instead point to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as the likely winner. Their reasoning is simple and very human. Silksong is sharp, demanding and proudly difficult, the sort of experience that can thrill some players and frustrate others. Expedition 33, in their eyes, offers a broader path into its world while still hitting emotional and mechanical highs.

At the same time, awards season momentum has clearly shifted toward Sandfall Interactive. Expedition 33 already swept the Golden Joystick Awards with multiple wins, including Ultimate Game of the Year, and entered The Game Awards as the most nominated project in the show’s history. That combination of critical love, fan enthusiasm and jury attention creates a picture where Team Cherry’s modest prediction feels grounded rather than defeatist. We walk through what makes this match up so fascinating, how both games reflect different philosophies and why the outcome says a lot about where big gaming prizes may be heading.

The Game Awards 2025 and a stacked Game of the Year field

The Game Awards 2025 land on 11 December at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, with millions of players watching to see which projects define the year. Game of the Year is the big one, and this season the ballot is especially crowded. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Donkey Kong Bananza, Hades II, Hollow Knight Silksong and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II are all in the running, which means the jury has to compare wildly different experiences. One is a surreal turn based role playing adventure from a French studio, another is a long awaited metroidvania sequel from an Australian indie team, and others range from prestige open world drama to Nintendo mascot chaos. On top of that, Expedition 33 enters the show with a record twelve nominations overall, signaling that critics and media panels have already fallen hard for its blend of art direction, story and combat. With that kind of spread, no single outcome feels inevitable, but patterns are already visible.

How Hollow Knight Silksong reached the GOTY stage

Hollow Knight Silksong did not just appear on the Game of the Year list out of nowhere. The original Hollow Knight slowly built a reputation as one of the finest modern metroidvanias, mixing intricate level design with minimalist storytelling and a haunting score. When Team Cherry announced that a Hornet focused expansion had grown into a full sequel, anticipation spiked and then simmered during several years of radio silence. By the time Silksong finally landed, players were hungry for another pilgrimage into a strange bug kingdom. Reviews praised its refined movement, new acrobatic tools and even fiercer boss design, while also noting that it does not compromise on difficulty. Sales followed, with the game quickly becoming a hit on PC and consoles. From there, a Game of the Year nomination feels like a natural outcome, the industry’s way of acknowledging a sequel that stays true to its roots while pushing higher in scope.

Why Team Cherry doubts a Silksong victory

The twist in this story is that Team Cherry does not seem convinced that Silksong will actually win the trophy it is up for. Speaking with Bloomberg, co founder William Pellen remarked that the team might not even attend The Game Awards because they are busy, while Ari Gibson joked that they are probably safe from having to take the stage. When pressed on why, Gibson pointed at Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and described it as exceptional and broadly palatable, words that carry a lot of weight when you think about how Game of the Year panels vote. He contrasted that with Silksong itself sitting on a knife edge, appealing strongly to some players while infuriating others with its punishing difficulty and lack of compromise. In other words, the studio understands that being loved by a passionate niche is not always the same as securing a majority of votes from critics, streamers and public polls.

Who Sandfall Interactive and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 are

On the other side of this match up sits Sandfall Interactive, a relatively young French studio that suddenly finds itself at the center of awards season. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is their lavish love letter to classic Japanese role playing adventures, set in a melancholic world locked in a repeating cycle where every year another number of people must die. That premise could easily have stayed niche, yet the team wrapped it in painterly art, expressive character designs and a combat system that mixes turn based planning with real time reflexes. Voice performances from actors like Jennifer English and Ben Starr deepen the cast, giving Maelle, Verso and others a weight that sticks with players after the credits. The result is a project that feels personal and slightly odd, yet also accessible to anyone who enjoys strong storytelling and flexible turn based battles. That balance between sincerity and approachability is exactly what many awards juries tend to reward.

How Expedition 33 became the awards season front runner

Expedition 33 did not just arrive at The Game Awards with quiet respect. It stormed through the Golden Joystick Awards 2025, picking up several prizes including Ultimate Game of the Year, Best Storytelling and Best Visual Design, while Sandfall Interactive itself was celebrated as Studio of the Year. Those wins are more than trophies on a shelf. They send a clear signal to other juries that this is a project worth looking at closely and they feed fan buzz across social media. On top of that, Expedition 33 leads The Game Awards 2025 with a record twelve nominations, the most any single title has ever earned in that show’s history. Media outlets have already started calling it the favorite for Game of the Year on this basis alone, framing it as the project to beat. When Team Cherry predicts an Expedition 33 victory, they are not being pessimistic. They are reading the room and seeing a game that has already proven its ability to charm both critics and players.

Comparing design and tone between Silksong and Expedition 33

Putting Silksong and Expedition 33 side by side highlights just how different they feel in the hands. Silksong is tight, kinetic and unforgiving, asking you to read enemy patterns, master agile movement and accept that failure is part of the journey. The world of Pharloom layers vertical spaces, hidden rooms and nasty surprises, with a tone that drifts between eerie calm and frantic panic. Conversations are short and often cryptic, leaving gaps for the player to fill. Expedition 33, by contrast, leans into cinematic storytelling and party dynamics. Battles are still demanding, but they take place in a framework where you can stop, think and choose abilities at a more deliberate pace, even when timing based inputs keep you engaged. Its environments feel rich and painterly rather than claustrophobic, while cutscenes and performances spell out emotional arcs more directly. Both games are crafted with care, but they speak very different languages, and that matters when a broad panel has to crown a single winner.

Accessibility, difficulty and how juries often vote

Difficulty might sound like a minor detail next to story or art direction, yet it plays a huge role in how Game of the Year tallies shake out. Panelists and public voters do not just reward the games they respect, they reward the games they actually finish and feel comfortable recommending to friends. Silksong offers a proud challenge, with tight windows for dodging attacks and bosses that can take many tries to defeat. For players wired for that style of experience, it is exhilarating. For others, it is simply exhausting, especially in a year packed with other long releases. Expedition 33 hits a different sweet spot. It keeps battles tense enough to feel rewarding while offering adjustable difficulty and systems that let you lean on builds, status effects and party synergy. When a jury made up of many tastes and schedules sits down to vote, the project that more of them have finished and loved from front to back often gains the edge. Team Cherry seems very aware of that reality.

The rest of the GOTY pack in 2025

Of course, this is not just a two game contest. Death Stranding 2 brings Hideo Kojima’s blend of cinematic drama and strange traversal design back to the stage, likely scooping nominations for performance and direction even if it divides players as much as the first one did. Hades II evolves one of the most beloved roguelikes ever, layering in new gods, weapons and story lines in a structure that begs to be replayed. Donkey Kong Bananza represents Nintendo’s colorful platforming side at its loudest, while Kingdom Come: Deliverance II offers a grounded, historically inspired world with intricate melee combat and role playing systems. Any of these could split votes in interesting ways. Yet when you scan awards coverage so far, a pattern emerges. Silksong and Expedition 33 are framed as the main artistic darlings, with Expedition 33 in particular gathering an unusual amount of love across several categories at once. That context shapes how every nomination feels heading into the show.

What a win for Expedition 33 would mean for indie creators

If Expedition 33 does win Game of the Year, the ripple effects could be huge for smaller studios. Sandfall Interactive is not a legacy giant with decades of franchises behind it. It is a relatively new team that bet on a single player focused, turn based role playing adventure at a time when many publishers chase live service or multiplayer projects. A big victory at The Game Awards would prove that a heartfelt, story driven role playing project can still stand toe to toe with blockbuster open worlds and long running series. Other independent teams pitching similar ideas could point to Expedition 33 as evidence that this path is viable, both creatively and commercially. It would also reinforce the idea that visual flair, strong performances and a clear thematic core can elevate a new intellectual property into awards territory quickly, without years of brand building. For players, it might encourage more experiments that mix classic mechanics with modern presentation.

What a Silksong upset would mean for challenging projects

Now imagine the opposite outcome. If Silksong walks away with Game of the Year despite Team Cherry’s modest expectations, that would send a powerful message about the place of challenging experiences in modern gaming. It would suggest that juries and audiences are willing to reward a project that refuses to flatten its difficulty curve in order to please everyone. That, in turn, could embolden other studios to stick to their vision when designing punishing action titles or intricate metroidvanias. An upset win would also reconfirm that a sequel can take its time, arrive years later than expected and still capture hearts if the quality is there. For fans who have followed Silksong since its first reveal, seeing it crowned would feel like a vindication of their patience and passion. Even in defeat, though, a nomination alone cements Silksong as one of the defining experiences of 2025, ensuring it sits in the conversation for years to come.

How fans can enjoy the show regardless of who wins

From a player’s point of view, the safest bet is to treat The Game Awards 2025 as a celebration rather than a scoreboard. Whether Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 converts its record twelve nominations into a Game of the Year trophy or Hollow Knight Silksong pulls off a surprise, the real win is having such a variety of experiences to pick from. You can cheer for your favorite, debate rankings with friends and still walk away with a list of new adventures to try. For many people, the ceremony is also a chance to see fresh trailers, hear live music and feel part of a wider community for one night. Team Cherry’s relaxed attitude toward the result, and their willingness to praise another studio’s work, sets a tone that is worth following. Enjoy the buildup, savor the reveals and remember that the games themselves remain exactly as magical on 12 December as they were the week before, trophy or not.

Conclusion

The Game Awards 2025 Game of the Year race captures a fascinating moment where two very different philosophies share the spotlight. Hollow Knight Silksong embodies tightly tuned difficulty, obscure storytelling and the joy of overcoming brutal challenges, while Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 leans into emotional storytelling, flexible turn based combat and painterly presentation. Awards season momentum, record nominations and Golden Joystick victories all suggest that Expedition 33 has the inside track, which even Team Cherry openly acknowledges. At the same time, Silksong’s nomination proves that there is still room on the biggest stage for sharp, demanding adventures. Whatever name Geoff Keighley reads out on 11 December, this year’s shortlist already feels like a win for players who like their games bold, personal and willing to take risks. The smart move is to celebrate both journeys, pick the worlds that speak to you and let the statue land where it may.

FAQs

When will The Game Awards 2025 Game of the Year winner be announced
- The Game Awards 2025 ceremony takes place on 11 December at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, with the Game of the Year winner revealed live during the show. For viewers in Europe, that means the announcement will land in the early hours of 12 December, so many players will be waking up to see which nominee took the trophy.
Which games are nominated for Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2025
- The Game Awards 2025 Game of the Year ballot includes Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Donkey Kong Bananza, Hades II, Hollow Knight Silksong and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. This mix covers everything from surreal narrative adventures and stylish roguelikes to Nintendo platforming and historically grounded role playing design.
Why does Team Cherry think Clair Obscur Expedition 33 will win instead of Silksong
- In a Bloomberg interview, Ari Gibson explained that Expedition 33 feels exceptional and broadly palatable, while Silksong sits on a knife edge where its punishing difficulty can delight some players and frustrate others. That self awareness leads Team Cherry to believe that a wider jury may gravitate toward the more accessible experience, especially in a voting process that mixes critical panels with public input.
How many nominations does Clair Obscur Expedition 33 have at The Game Awards 2025
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 leads The Game Awards 2025 with a record twelve nominations across categories that include Game of the Year, direction, art, music and performance. That makes it the most nominated project in the show’s history and marks it out as a clear favorite in the eyes of many commentators before the ceremony even begins.
What major awards has Clair Obscur Expedition 33 already won before The Game Awards
- Before The Game Awards 2025 even start, Expedition 33 has already dominated the Golden Joystick Awards 2025, where it picked up several trophies including Ultimate Game of the Year, Best Storytelling and Best Visual Design. Those earlier victories play into its reputation as the current awards season front runner and help explain why other developers highlight it so often when discussing likely winners.