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The results of the 2025 Steam Awards are officially in, with Hollow Knight: Silksong emerging as the biggest winner of the year. Voted on entirely by Steam users, the highly anticipated Metroidvania claimed the coveted Game of the Year award, beating out strong contenders such as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Dispatch, ARC Raiders, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2.
Voting for the 2025 Steam Awards began in November, with users nominating eligible titles across 11 categories. The final voting round took place during the Steam Winter Sale, running from December 18 to January 3, before Valve revealed the winners on January 3.
A Strong Year of Competition Across Categories
The 2025 Steam Awards once again blended traditional categories with more playful ones. Alongside staples like Game of the Year and Best Soundtrack, the awards featured categories such as Best Game You Suck At, Sit Back and Relax, and Better With Friends. Each category included five nominees, with several games appearing across multiple lists.
While Hollow Knight: Silksong secured the top prize, it also won the Best Game You Suck At award, a tongue-in-cheek category that typically celebrates demanding and skill-intensive experiences. The dual win reinforced Silksong’s reputation as both a challenging and critically acclaimed release.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Still Takes Home Gold
Despite missing out on Game of the Year, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 did not leave the ceremony empty-handed. Sandfall Interactive’s breakout RPG won the Best Soundtrack award, recognizing its widely praised musical score. The win adds to an already impressive year for the title, which swept multiple awards in 2025 and built a passionate fanbase.
Earlier in the year, Sandfall Interactive also released a free “Thank You Update” following The Game Awards, adding new endgame challenges that pushed the game’s parry-focused combat to its limits. While the studio has not confirmed further content, the Steam Award recognition further cements Expedition 33 as one of 2025’s standout releases.
Other Notable Steam Award Winners
Game of the Year
- Hollow Knight Silksong (Winner)
- Arc Raiders
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Dispatch
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
VR Game of the Year
- The Midnight Walk (Winner)
- EA Sports F1 25
- Emissary Zero
- Le Mans Ultimate
- Pavlov
Labor of Love
- Baldur’s Gate 3 (Winner)
- Dota 2
- Helldivers 2
- No Man’s Sky
- Rust
Best Game on Steam Deck
- Hades 2 (Winner)
- Ball x Pit
- Clover Pit
- Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor
- Digimon Story: Time Stranger
Better With Friends
- PEAK (Winner)
- Battlefield 6
- R.E.P.O.
- Schedule I
- Split Fiction
Outstanding Visual Style
- Silent Hill f (Winner)
- Doom: The Dark Ages
- Dream BBQ
- Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
- My Little Puppy
Most Innovative Gameplay
- ARC Raiders (Winner)
- Blue Prince
- Escape from Duckov
- Europa Universalis 5
- Mage Arena
Best Game You Suck At
- Hollow Knight: Silksong (Winner)
- Elden Ring: Nightreign
- Marvel Rivals
- Path of Exile 2
- Where Winds Meet
Best Soundtrack
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Winner)
- Deltarune
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Rift of the NecroDancer
- Tokyo Xtreme Racer
Outstanding Story-Rich Game
- Dispatch (Winner)
- Dying Light: The Beast
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
- No, I’m Not A Human
- The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered
Sit Back and Relax
- RV There Yet? (Winner)
- Chill With You: Lo-Fi Story
- Megabonk
- Powerwash Simulator 2
- Slime Rancher 2
What’s Next for the Winners
Following its Steam Awards success, Team Cherry has already confirmed that Hollow Knight: Silksong will receive free content updates throughout 2026, including the Sea of Sorrow expansion. With major updates on the horizon and strong player support, many of 2025’s Steam Award winners appear poised to remain in the spotlight well into the new year.
You can check out the full Steam page here.
