Game of the Year: Winners, Nominees & Controversies 2026
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 swept nine awards at The Game Awards 2025, a single-night record, but its run at the Indie Game Awards ended in reverse: the ceremony awarded it on December 18, 2025, then revoked every prize two days later over undisclosed generative AI assets. The swing—winner to disqualified—captures exactly why Game of the Year races grip players and developers alike.
2023 Winner: Baldur’s Gate 3 by Larian Studios · Recent Nominees: Expedition 33, Hades II, Death Stranding 2 · Event: The Game Awards — December 10, 2026
Quick snapshot
- Expedition 33 won 9 awards from 12 nominations at TGA 2025 (GameRant)
- IGA revoked both GOTY and Best Debut Game on December 20, 2025 (AV Club)
- AI assets used as placeholders, patched after April 2025 launch (Gaming Bible)
- Blue Prince officially crowned IGA Game of the Year; Sorry We’re Closed wins Best Debut (Gaming Bible)
- The industry debate over AI ethics in indie eligibility standards is intensifying (Softonic)
- Next Game Awards ceremony scheduled for December 10, 2026 (The Game Awards)
The key facts below track Expedition 33’s record-breaking Game Awards run and its subsequent indie disqualification over generative AI use.
| Label | Value |
|---|---|
| Award Body | The Game Awards |
| 2023 Recipient | Baldur’s Gate 3 |
| IGA Ceremony Date | December 18, 2025 |
| IGA Disqualification Date | December 20, 2025 |
| TGA Awards Won by Expedition 33 | 9 (from 12 nominations) |
| Notable Nominee | Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 |
| Longest Dev Time Example | Duke Nukem Forever (14 years) |
Was Expedition 33 Disqualified?
Yes—within 48 hours of winning, Expedition 33 lost both its Indie Game Awards Game of the Year and Best Debut Game titles. The Indie Game Awards, organized by Six One Indie, issued a formal retraction on December 20, 2025, stating the nomination committee found generative AI assets had been used in the game during the eligibility window (AV Club). Blue Prince was subsequently awarded IGA Game of the Year, and Sorry We’re Closed received the Best Debut Game prize (Gaming Bible).
Expedition 33 Disqualification Details
Players discovered AI-generated textures and posters embedded in Expedition 33 shortly after its April 2025 launch. In July 2025, producer François Meurisse told El País that the studio used “some AI, but not much” (AV Club). During IGA nomination, Sandfall Interactive had confirmed no generative AI was used—a claim the organizers later called into question when the assets resurfaced (GameRant). Sandfall confirmed AI use on December 18, 2025, the same day as the IGA ceremony, and the organization acted swiftly: “The IGAs Nomination Committee is officially retracting Debut Game and Game of the Year, awarding both categories to new recipients” (Gaming Bible).
The Indie Game Awards have a “hard stance” against generative AI throughout the nomination process and ceremony itself, according to Six One Indie (GameSpot). Meanwhile, The Game Awards awarded Expedition 33 anyway—highlighting how two major ceremonies apply radically different AI policies.
Impact on Game Awards
The disqualification raised immediate questions about award transparency and AI ethics. The Indie Game Awards’ decisive action—within 48 hours of ceremony—contrasts sharply with The Game Awards’ decision to crown Expedition 33 Game of the Year (OpenCritic). Some industry voices, including figures like Bruce Staley, have publicly opposed AI use in game art, while Sandfall Interactive maintains it opposes “creative” AI replacing human artists (GameRant).
What is the #1 Game of the Year?
By The Game Awards’ own ranking, Expedition 33 holds the 2025 title. But “number one” shifts depending on how you measure: critical acclaim, player count, or sales. Steam Charts currently tracks live player numbers across titles, while The Game Awards’ GOTY honor is a named panel award with voting from industry professionals (The Game Awards).
Current #1 Game Rankings
The Game Awards 2025 nominees included Death Stranding 2, Donkey Kong Bananza, Hades II, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (The Game Awards). Expedition 33 won against this field, collecting nine awards in a single night from 12 nominations—a record-setting performance (GameRant). The awards spanned Best Game Direction, Best Narrative, Best Art Direction, Best Music and Score, Best Performance (Jennifer English), Best Role Playing Game, Best Independent Game, Best Debut Indie Game, and Game of the Year.
Top Games By Current Players
Player count leaderboards—tracked by Steam Charts—show a different picture than award ceremonies. Live concurrent players reflect what’s being played right now, not historical reputation. Games like Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, and PUBG: Battlegrounds consistently dominate that metric, while single-player GOTY winners tend to spike then decline post-release. For players asking “what’s the #1 game right now,” Steam Charts offers real-time data unavailable from award rankings.
The Game Awards crowned Expedition 33 despite it being a single-player experience with finite replayability, while live-service titles like those topping Steam Charts maintain player bases measured in years, not weeks.
All Game of the Year Winners at The Game Awards (2014–2025)
The Game Awards have named a Game of the Year since 2014, with the list growing into a canonical record of industry consensus. Baldur’s Gate 3 took the 2023 honor, continuing a run of RPG dominance that’s defined recent years.
Historical Winners List
The full GOTY record from 2014 onward shows clear patterns: open-world RPGs have won five times in the past decade, with FromSoftware titles appearing twice (Dark Souls III in 2016, Elden Ring in 2022). The lone exception before that stretch was Overwatch in 2016, which broke the RPG streak. Each winner typically reflects the year’s most technically ambitious or narratively distinctive title, with The Game Awards’ voting body—comprising media, creators, and industry figures—determining the outcome (The Game Awards).
The pattern: as industry tastes evolved, so did the GOTY criteria, leaving older winners tied to their era’s technical standards.
2023: Baldur’s Gate 3
Larian Studios’ Baldur’s Gate 3 dominated 2023 with deep tactical combat, over 17,000 possible endings, and cross-platform multiplayer. The RPG swept every major ceremony, cementing its place as one of the most celebrated games in the medium’s history. Its win ended what some observers called a three-year debate between Elden Ring fans and those awaiting the Baldur’s Gate 3 release.
For industry watchers, the 2023 GOTY race set expectations: ambitious scope and replayability can coexist, and studio size doesn’t guarantee a game’s cultural impact.
Did GTA 5 Win Game of the Year?
No. Grand Theft Auto V released in September 2013 and won dozens of awards, but The Game Awards did not exist in its release year. By the time The Game Awards launched in 2014, the next cycle was already underway. GTA 5 did win the BAFTA Games Award for Best Game in 2014, but never claimed The Game Awards’ GOTY trophy.
GTA 5 Awards History
GTA 5 earned over 70 awards at its 2013 launch, including GameSpot’s Game of the Year and IGN’s Best Console Game. Rockstar’s online component—GTA Online—became a decade-long revenue generator that reshaped how publishers view post-launch support. The game remained a top-seller on storefronts for years, with Rockstar’s decision to remaster it for current-generation consoles keeping it relevant well beyond its original launch window.
The pattern: GTA 5 lost The Game Awards GOTY to timing, but won the industry’s respect through longevity—a reminder that award ceremonies capture one moment, not a game’s full lifespan.
What Game Took 14 Years to Make?
Duke Nukem Forever holds the record for the longest development cycle in mainstream gaming—14 years between its 1997 announcement and June 2011 release. Gearbox Software acquired the rights from 3D Realms and eventually shipped a game that fans and critics received as deeply flawed compared to modern shooters of its era.
Duke Nukem Forever Development
The game’s troubled history became a cautionary tale: feature creep, engine changes, and studio relocations stretched development past the point where the original vision could be executed. When it finally launched, Duke Nukem Forever scored 34/100 on Metacritic—a stark reminder that development time alone doesn’t guarantee quality.
For gamers asking “what game took 14 years to make,” the answer carries a warning: lengthy dev cycles signal either ambition outpacing execution or scope spiraling beyond control. Expedition 33, by contrast, launched within a reasonable window and achieved GOTY status—a sharp contrast that makes Duke Nukem Forever’s story feel like a different industry entirely.
The tension between AI tooling and award eligibility isn’t going away. Indie studios increasingly use AI for placeholders, prototyping, or support tasks—and as Expedition 33 shows, disclosure timing can determine whether an award stands or collapses.
Upsides
- Expedition 33’s 9 awards at TGA 2025 prove indie studios can match AAA ambition
- IGA’s fast disqualification shows award bodies can act on policy violations
- Blue Prince and Sorry We’re Closed gained visibility from inheriting revoked awards
Downsides
- Sandfall’s AI disclosure timing—December 18, same day as ceremony—raises transparency questions
- Indie eligibility boundaries blur as studios scale to AAA-level output
- Forum and community discussions continue debating whether patched AI assets should disqualify
“We use some AI, but not much.”
— François Meurisse, Expedition 33 Producer, El País interview, July 2025
“The Indie Game Awards have a hard stance on the use of gen AI throughout the nomination process and during the ceremony itself.”
— Six One Indie (IGA Organizers), GameSpot, December 2025
For The Game Awards, GOTY means panel credibility and industry signaling. For indie developers, the Expedition 33 fallout means clearer stakes: disclose AI use early, or risk watching the trophy get pulled days after the ceremony.
Related reading: Borderlands 4 Shift Codes · Wordle Unlimited New York Times
Expedition 33’s record sweep at The Game Awards echoed the GOTY 2025 controversies that stripped its indie honors amid AI usage debates.
Frequently asked questions
Who presents the Game of the Year award?
The Game Awards, hosted by Geoff Keighley, presents GOTY annually. The Indie Game Awards (organized by Six One Indie) runs a separate ceremony with its own criteria.
What are the criteria for Game of the Year?
TGA’s GOTY criteria include overall impact, innovation, artistry, and technical achievement. IGA applies a stricter AI policy: no generative AI assets allowed during the eligibility window.
How can fans vote for Game of the Year?
TGA opens fan voting alongside industry jury votes, though the jury carries substantial weight. IGA operates primarily through committee selection without a public fan vote.
What is Indie Game of the Year?
Indie Game of the Year honors smaller studios under specific criteria (team size, budget, publisher independence). Expedition 33’s eligibility was already debated due to its commercial scale and team size before the AI disqualification.
Where to watch The Game Awards?
The Game Awards streams live on YouTube, Twitch, and its official website each December. The ceremony is held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
Which game led Steam Charts recently?
Steam Charts tracks live concurrent player counts. Multiplayer titles like Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, and PUBG typically dominate daily rankings, while single-player GOTY winners spike then decline.
What happened with Duke Nukem Forever?
Duke Nukem Forever spent 14 years in development (1997–2011) before Gearbox Software released it. The game received poor critical reception and became a symbol of development hell and feature creep.
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