This year has been a remarkable one for gaming enthusiasts, with a plethora of new releases, eagerly awaited sequels, and standout independent games that have captivated players globally. As we approach the end of this exciting gaming year, the PlayStation Blog has opened its annual Game of the Year Awards 2025 polls, inviting players to vote for their favorite games across various categories. This year’s awards celebrate the creativity and dedication of game developers worldwide, recognizing their contributions to memorable gaming experiences characterized by engaging gameplay, compelling characters, stunning art direction, immersive soundtracks, and more.
The awards feature 19 categories, each spotlighting exemplary work from passionate game development studios. Players have the opportunity to express their preferences by voting for the games they believe excel in each category. Notably, the awards are unique as they solely rely on player votes to determine the winners. Games that receive the most votes by the end of the polling period will be honored with Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum trophies when the results are announced in the coming weeks.
To participate in the voting process, it’s important to understand the guidelines for each category:
- Best PS5 Game: This category focuses on games that have been newly introduced this year, rather than older titles that received updates. Notably, games released after the November 30 cutoff for 2024’s awards are considered for this year’s nominations.
- Best Multiplayer Experience: This category highlights multiplayer games launched in 2025, while the Best Ongoing Game category celebrates titles that have received significant content updates or game-changing modifications throughout the year.
- Best Rerelease: This category recognizes games that have been enhanced, ported, or remastered, maintaining their essence of the original version. Full-scale remakes of older games are not included here but may be eligible in other categories.
- The cutoff date for inclusion in this year’s nominations was November 30. Games released after this date will be eligible for next year’s awards.
- Titles that previously won a Platinum Trophy in the Most Anticipated category are excluded from this year’s nominations to give other games a chance to shine. For instance, Grand Theft Auto VI, which won a Platinum in 2023, is not included in the Most Anticipated Game of 2026 and Beyond category.
Players are encouraged to cast their votes in various categories, each celebrating a distinct aspect of game development. Let’s take a closer look at some of the categories players can vote in:
Best New Character
This category highlights the most memorable and well-crafted characters introduced in games this year. Players are encouraged to vote for characters that stood out due to their depth, relatability, and impact on the gaming narrative.
Best Story
Games with compelling narratives that captivate players and provide engaging storytelling experiences are recognized in this category. Players can vote for games that excelled in crafting immersive and emotionally resonant stories.
Best Graphical Showcase
Visual excellence is celebrated in this category, which recognizes games that pushed the boundaries of graphical fidelity and artistic design, creating visually stunning experiences for players.
Best Art Direction
Art direction plays a crucial role in defining a game’s aesthetic and atmosphere. This category honors games that exhibited exceptional creativity and artistic vision through their visual design.
Best Audio Design
Games with outstanding sound design that enhance the overall gaming experience are recognized in this category. Players can vote for games that demonstrated excellence in audio engineering and sound effects.
Best Soundtrack
A memorable soundtrack can elevate a gaming experience, and this category celebrates games with exceptional musical scores that complemented the gameplay and enriched the narrative.
Best Accessibility Features
This category recognizes games that have incorporated innovative accessibility features, making them more inclusive and enjoyable for a diverse range of players.
Best Use of DualSense
The PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller offers unique features such as haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. This category highlights games that effectively utilized these features to enhance the gameplay experience.
Best Rerelease (Remaster)
Games that have been remastered or ported with improved visuals, performance, or additional content are celebrated in this category, acknowledging the efforts to revive and enhance classic titles.
Best Multiplayer Experience
Multiplayer games that offered engaging, cooperative, or competitive experiences are recognized in this category. Players can vote for games that stood out in delivering exceptional multiplayer gameplay.
Best Ongoing Game
This category honors games that have continued to captivate players with substantial content updates and improvements, maintaining a dedicated player base throughout the year.
Best Expansion
Expansions that enriched games with new content, storylines, or gameplay mechanics are celebrated in this category, recognizing the efforts to extend and enhance existing games.
Best Sports Game
Sports games that provided realistic and immersive experiences, capturing the essence of various sports, are recognized in this category.
Best Independent Game
Independent games that showcased creativity, innovation, and originality are celebrated in this category, highlighting the contributions of indie developers to the gaming industry.
Best PS VR2 Game
Virtual reality games that offered immersive and engaging experiences on the PlayStation VR2 platform are recognized in this category.
Best PS4 Game
This category celebrates the best games released on the PlayStation 4, honoring titles that delivered exceptional experiences on the platform.
Best PS5 Game
The best games released on the PlayStation 5 are recognized in this category, celebrating titles that utilized the capabilities of the next-gen console to deliver outstanding gaming experiences.
Studio of the Year
This category honors game development studios that have demonstrated excellence in game creation, innovation, and community engagement, contributing significantly to the gaming industry.
Most Anticipated Game of 2026 and Beyond
Players can vote for the upcoming games they are most excited about, celebrating the potential and promise of future gaming experiences.
Voting is open now, and players are encouraged to participate and support their favorite games and developers. However, don’t delay, as the voting period closes on Monday, December 8 at 11:59 PM PT. To cast your vote, head over to the PlayStation Blog and make your selections. Good luck to all the nominees!
For more detailed information, you can visit the original announcement on the PlayStation Blog.
For more Information, Refer to this article.
