2025 Steam Awards: Shocking Upset! Did YOUR Favorite Game Win?!

Well folks, the people have spoken! The 2025 Steam Awards have wrapped up, and after a monumental 43.8 million votes, the winners are in. And honestly, some of the results are a little… unexpected, to say the least. I was glued to the announcement stream, and even I had a few "wait, what?!" moments.

2025 Steam Awards: Shocking Upset! Did YOUR Favori...

The big one, of course, is Game of the Year. Drumroll please… it's *Hollow Knight: Silksong*! After what feels like an eternity of waiting, Team Cherry finally delivered, and gamers clearly rewarded them for it. It’s a testament to the enduring hype and sheer anticipation surrounding this sequel. It's impressive to see *Silksong* beat out some seriously heavy hitters like *Arc Raiders*, *Dispatch*, *Kingdom Come Deliverance 2*, and *Clair Obscur: Expedition 33*. Color me impressed, Team Cherry!

Speaking of stunning visuals, *Silent Hill f* snagged the Outstanding Visual Style Award. Considering the franchise's legacy of atmospheric horror, that's a fitting win. *Arc Raiders*, the free-to-play shooter everyone was talking about over the holidays, took home the prize for Most Innovative Gameplay. Can’t argue with that, honestly. I messed around with the beta, and the gameplay mechanics were really different. It's nice to see innovation recognized, even if the game isn't necessarily GOTY material in everyone's eyes.

*Hades 2*, continuing the roguelike domination of its predecessor, secured Best Game on Steam Deck, a nod to its perfectly optimized portable experience. *Dispatch* was rightfully awarded Outstanding Story-Rich Game, I’ve heard nothing but praise for its narrative depth. And finally, *Clair Obscur: Expedition 33* was recognized for its amazing soundtrack. If you haven’t given that game a listen, find the OST online. You won’t regret it. I’ve been listening to it while writing articles, and it’s really good.

Not everyone could be a winner, though. *Split Fiction*, *Battlefield 6*, *Where Winds Meet*, *Elden Ring: Nightreign*, and, perhaps most surprisingly, Eurogamer's 2025 Game of the Year, *Blue Prince*, went home empty-handed. Ouch. That’s gotta sting a little. *Blue Prince* was a critical darling, so seeing it shut out completely is definitely a shock.

Valve capped off the awards with a heartfelt message. "Congratulations to all of the nominees and winners, and thank you to all who voted," they wrote. "Huge shout out to everyone who made Steam such a great community this year, from the players to the developers. Here's to a 2026 filled with making and finding your NEXT new favourite games (and rediscovering old faves)!" Well said, Valve. Bring on 2026!

In case you missed the memo, *Arc Raiders* basically owned the Steam holiday sales. SteamDB reported that *Arc Raiders*, *Battlefield 6*, and *Clair Obscur: Expedition 33* were the top-grossing games between December 23rd and 30th. So, while some didn't win awards, they definitely won wallets. See you all next year for the 2026 awards… it’s going to be an interesting one, to say the least.