My experience attending the 2025 Game Awards, and why I loved it

Last week, I attended the Game Awards. I was in the audience when it went wild for Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic, and I was there when actors screamed and were lifted into the air before the graphic first trailer for Larian Studios’ Divinity. I was also there to see Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and the beret-wearing developers at Sandfall Interactive make history. Plus, there’s a bunch of great game trailers you might have missed, and the annual pre-Game Awards Day of the Devs showcase was full of incredible indie games. This was my third time attending since 2023, and while I’ll never forget the massive blowout that was 2024’s 10th anniversary, this year’s celebration still reminded me why I love the awards, flaws and all.

My experience attending the 2025 Game Awards, and why I will always love it

There are plenty of issues I have with Geoff Keighley’s Game Awards show. It is often compared to the award shows of other media, and I’ve even used this as a point of comparison to explain to people outside the industry. But the Oscars doesn’t have hours worth of trailers for next year’s blockbusters and relegate some awards to a quick announcement from the host, denying those winners the chance to be on stage and share a few words. I’ll be the first to say how fun the trailers are. It’s why so many people watch, and it makes for a great show. But I’ll also be the first to say the winners deserve more appreciation than those paying millions to have their trailers featured.

But what really makes the night special is being part of the celebration. Even if it’s not perfect, even if you really, really wanted to see the reveal of Half-Life 3, it’s hard to deny how fun it is to be surrounded by people who care about video games as much as you. For the years I’ve written for Gamepressure, I’ve never had the chance to go into an office. I work from home, sending messages across the globe to colleagues every day, but most of them I’ve never met in person. So, attending events like this is finally a chance to feel a strong sense of belonging that isn’t always present in my small apartment.

While I can’t share details about the Game Awards voting process or what I voted for, I appreciate how it makes me stop to reflect on what I really enjoyed this year, all the fantastic games that were released, whether I played or didn’t play them, and decide if and when I should finally get around to playing them. Video games are amazing, and no matter if they are past, present, or future, I’m excited to celebrate them.

My favorite moment had to be when Sandfall finally, inevitably took home the coveted Game of the Year trophy. They had been up on that stage so many times that night, and everyone who knew anything could have seen it coming a mile away, but their excitement was contagious. While everyone else cheered and clapped, and before they sent their representatives to accept the award, the entire team gathered in a massive group hug, jumping up and down in celebration.

As a big fan of indie games, it was great to see Supergiant Games win Best Action game for Hades 2, and Team Cherry win Best Action/Adventure for Hollow Knight: Silksong. Those are both some legendary releases that would have earned far more recognition if not for the dominance of Expedition 33. In terms of announcements, as a huge Star Wars fan, I’m obviously looking forward to Fate of the Old Republic and Star Wars: Galactic Racer. But I also got very excited about smaller games like Coven of the Chicken Foot and Bradley the Badger, which look like they will be notable indie games in the coming years.

Even though this year I didn’t quite connect with the announcements or awards as much as in previous years, I still appreciated the opportunity to celebrate such a great year in gaming. Thank you to Geoff Keighley for putting this event together, hosting it every year, taking way more flak for the nominees and winners than he deserves, and for inviting Gamepressure (and therefore me) to attend. Hope to see you at Summer Game Fest.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

April 24, 2025

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• Overview
• Guide
• Review

• Star Wars
• indie games
• Divinity (franchise)
• Larian Studios
• TGA / The Game Awards