Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 isn’t done making noise after dominating much of 2025. The acclaimed RPG impressed players and critics alike with its richly detailed world, memorable characters, rewarding combat, and confident storytelling. That momentum has already translated into multiple wins over the past year, and now the game’s award-season streak is rolling straight into one of the industry’s most respected events.
The nominations for the 26th annual Game Developers Choice Awards are officially out, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is leading the pack with an impressive eight nominations. The ceremony is set for March 12, taking place during the GDC Festival of Gaming in San Francisco. With only nine total categories at the show, Expedition 33 managed to land a spot in nearly all of them, underscoring just how broadly the game has resonated across different disciplines of development.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 earned nominations for Best Audio, Best Debut, Best Design, Innovation Award, Best Narrative, Best Technology, Best Visual Art, and the top prize, Game of the Year. The only category where it didn’t receive a nomination was Social Impact.
It’s not the only title showing strong support this year. Ghost of Yotei secured five nominations, while Blue Prince, Donkey Kong Bananza, and Split Fiction each earned four nominations. One of the biggest surprises is Hollow Knight: Silksong, which many expected to appear across multiple categories but ended up receiving only a Game of the Year nomination.
What makes these nominations especially meaningful is who decides them. The Game Developers Choice Awards are voted on entirely by industry professionals, with winners selected through the International Choice Awards Network—a group made up of developers and creators from across the games industry. There’s no public voting involved, making the results a reflection of peer recognition from the people who build games for a living.
With eight nominations and a real shot at Game of the Year, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is now positioned as one of the defining titles of its era—and March 12 will reveal just how big its next victory lap could be.
