The polls are currently open to vote for this year’s PlayStation Blog Game of the Year Awards.
PlayStation has had a wide range of major releases in 2025, from long-awaited sequels to addictive indies. Today, the polls are open once again for the PlayStation Blog Game of the Year Awards. Players will be able to cast their votes for their favourite games of the year, including the likes of Ghost of Yōtei, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and much more. There are 19 categories, providing a variety of studios with the chance to win in each category.
One of the interesting parts about the PlayStation Blog Game of the Year Awards is that voters can also choose “the write-in option” for their votes in each category. This means that players can suggest other titles not listed, which best represent each category this year. As always, the only votes counted in these awards are those cast by the players/gamers. These games, earning the majority of votes by the time polls close will be recognized with Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum PS Blog trophies when PlayStation reveals the results in a few weeks.
The official PlayStation Blog website made specific guidelines regarding the categories and nominees:
- “Best PS5 Game category is defined as games that have been newly released this calendar year, rather than previously released titles with new updates. (This includes games released after the November 30 cutoff for 2024’s PS Blog Game of the Year nominees.)
- As with the majority of the other categories, Best Multiplayer Experience focuses on titles released in 2025. Best Ongoing Game focuses on titles that have seen new, large-scale content or game-changing updates launch over this past year.
- Best Rerelease refers to games that have been upgraded, ported, or remastered but are otherwise similar to their original game. This category does not include full-scale remakes of older titles, which are eligible in other categories.
- Cut off for inclusion in this year’s nominees list was November 30. Titles releasing after this date aren’t eligible for inclusion, but will be eligible for nomination and voting in next year’s PS Blog Game of the Year awards.
- If a title won a Platinum Trophy in the Most Anticipated category any previous year, it won’t be eligible for inclusion this year to allow other titles a chance to shine. As such, Grand Theft Auto VI is excluded from The Most Anticipated Game of 2026 and Beyond category as it earned a Platinum in that category in the 2023’s Awards.”
Here is the list of categories and nominees for the PlayStation Blog Game of the Year Awards 2025:
Best New Character
- Alma (Monster Hunter Wilds)
- Atsu (Ghost of Yōtei)
- Bai (Wuchang: Fallen Feathers)
- Hinako (Silent Hill f)
- Hornet (Hollow Knight: Silksong)
- Jan (The Alters)
- Lune (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33)
- Maelle (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33)
- Mio Hudson (Split Fiction)
- Naoe (Assassin’s Creed: Shadows)
- Nate (Baby Steps)
- Rainy (Death Stranding 2: On the Beach)
- Robert Robertson (Dispatch)
- Tomorrow (Death Stranding 2: On the Beach)
- Verso (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33)
- Yasuke (Assassin’s Creed: Shadows)
- Zoe Foster (Split Fiction)
- Other:
Best Story
- 1000xResist
- Blue Prince
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Cronos: The New Dawn
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Digimon Story Time Stranger
- Dispatch
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
- Lorelei and the Laser Eyes
- Lost Records: Bloom & Rage Tape 1
- Silent Hill f
- Split Fiction
- The Midnight Walk
- Other:
Best Graphical Showcase
- Arc Raiders
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows
- Battlefield 6
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
- Cronos: The New Dawn
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Doom The Dark Ages
- Dying Light: The Beast
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
- Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
- Other:
Best Art Direction
- 1000xResist
- Absolum
- Blue Prince
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Little Nightmares III
- Lorelei and the Laser Eyes
- Lumines Arise
- Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater
- Rematch
- Shinobi: Art of Vengeance
- Silent Hill f
- Sword of the Sea
- The Midnight Walk
- Wheel World
- Other:
Best Audio Design
- Alien: Rogue Incursion
- Arc Raiders
- Battlefield 6
- Blue Prince
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
- Cronos: The New Dawn
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Doom: The Dark Ages
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Hell Is Us
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Lumines Arise
- Silent Hill f
- The Midnight Walk
- Other:
Best Soundtrack
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Cronos: The New Dawn
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Earthion
- Elden Ring Nightreign
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Lumines Arise
- Ninja Gaiden 4
- Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound
- Shinobi: Art of Vengeance
- Silent Hill f
- Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
- Sword of the Sea
- Other:
Best Accessibility Features
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows
- Battlefield 6
- Borderlands 4
- Days Gone Remastered
- Doom: The Dark Ages
- EA Sports FC26
- Forza Horizon 5
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Monster Hunter Wilds
- The Outer Worlds 2
- Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
- Split Fiction
- Other:
Best Use of DualSense
- Arc Raiders
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows
- Baby Steps
- Battlefield 6
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Forza Horizon 5
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
- Lost Soul Aside
- Lumines Arise
- Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater
- Monster Hunter Wilds
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
- Sword of the Sea
- The Outer Worlds 2
- Other:
Best Rerelease (Remaster)
- Days Gone Remastered
- Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles
- Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered
- Lunar Remastered Collection
- Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection
- Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars
- Tales of Graces f Remastered
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
- Tomb Raider IV–VI Remastered
- Other:
Best Multiplayer Experience
- Absolum
- Arc Raiders
- Battlefield 6
- Borderlands 4
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
- EA Sports FC26
- Elden Ring Nightreign
- Forza Horizon 5
- Little Nightmares III
- Lumines Arise
- Marvel Rivals
- Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind
- Monster Hunter Wilds
- Rematch
- Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
- Split Fiction
- Other:
Best Ongoing Game
- Call of Duty: Warzone
- Dead by Daylight
- Destiny 2
- Final Fantasy XIV
- Fortnite
- Genshin Impact
- Gran Turismo 7
- GTA Online
- Helldivers 2
- Honkai Star Rail
- Marvel Rivals
- No Man’s Sky
- Zenless Zone Zero
- Other:
Best Expansion
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows: Claws of Awaji
- Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate
- Helldivers 2: Heart of Democracy
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle – The Order of Giants
- Lies of P: Overture
- PowerWash Simulator – Wallace & Gromit Special Pack
- RoboCop: Rogue City – Unfinished Business
- Two Point Museum – Fantasy Finds
- Other:
Best Sports Game
- EA Sports College Football 26
- EA Sports FC 26
- EA Sports F1 25
- Forza Horizon 5
- EA Sports Madden NFL 26
- MLB The Show 25
- NASCAR 25
- NBA 2K26
- PGA Tour 2K25
- Rematch
- Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
- WWE 2K25
- Other:
Best Independent Game
- 1000xResist
- Absolum
- Baby Steps
- Ball x Pit
- Blue Prince
- Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Deltarune Chapters 3 + 4
- Dispatch
- Earthion
- Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream
- Forever Skies
- Herdling
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Lorelei and the Laser Eyes
- Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind
- Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound
- Ready or Not
- Rematch
- Sword of the Sea
- Time Flies
- Wanderstop
- Wheel World
- Other:
Best PSVR2 Game
- Alien: Rogue Incursion
- Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked
- Dig VR
- Dreams of Another
- Hitman World of Assassination
- Hotel Infinity
- Lumines Arise
- Masters of Light
- Reach
- Skydance’s Behemoth
- Smash Drums
- The Midnight Walk
- Wanderer: The Fragments of Fate
- Zombie Army VR
- Other:
Best PS4 Game
- Absolum
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
- Elden Ring Nightreign
- Fantasian Neo Dimension
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
- NBA 2K26
- Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound
- Shinobi: Art of Vengeance
- Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
- Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4
- Other:
Best PS5 Game
- Absolum
- Arc Raiders
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows
- Baby Steps
- Battlefield 6
- Blue Prince
- Borderlands 4
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Digimon Story Time Stranger
- Doom: The Dark Ages
- Elden Ring Nightreign
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Hell Is Us
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
- Kingdom Come Deliverance II
- Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater
- Monster Hunter Wilds
- Ninja Gaiden 4
- Silent Hill f
- Split Fiction
- The Outer Worlds 2
- Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter
- Other:
Studio of the Year
- AdHoc Studio
- Battlefield Studios
- Dogubomb
- FromSoftware
- Kenny Sun and Friends
- Kojima Productions
- LizardCube
- Machine Games
- Neobards
- NetEase Games
- Obsidian
- Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
- Sandfall Interactive
- Sucker Punch Productions
- Team Cherry
- Other:
Most Anticipated Game of 2026 and Beyond
- 007 First Light
- Beast of Reincarnation
- Code Vein II
- Crimson Desert
- Dynasty Warriors 3: Complete Edition Remastered
- Halloween
- Halo: Campaign Evolved
- Judas
- LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight
- Marathon
- Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra
- MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls
- Marvel’s Wolverine
- Nioh 3
- Onimusha: Way of the Sword
- Phantom Blade Zero
- Pragmata
- Resident Evil Requiem
- Saros
- The Blood of Dawnwalker
- Other:
Voting closes on Monday, December 8th, at 11:59pm PT/2:59am ET. Good luck to all nominees, and make sure to cast your votes to help support your favourite PlayStation games and developers!
