The Game Awards Game of the Year 2014-2025

The Game Awards is on December 10, and players can't wait to see who wins Game of the Year (though we all have a strong suspicion – GTA 6 will surely be nominated if it gets released on November 19, as expected). While we're waiting for the opportunity to vote for favorite games, let's recall who received the award in the past.

2014 – Dragon Age: Inquisition

The first TGA took place in 2014, produced and hosted by game journalist Geoff Keighley. BioWare's Dragon Age: Inquisition took the award that year, which is especially bittersweet now, just days after EA announced the studio's closure. The third installment in the series fought against Bayonetta 2, Dark Souls II, Hearthstone, and Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor.

2015 – The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Even 11 years later, fans and critics still laud Wild Hunt. CD PROJEKT RED created what could arguably be called the RPG of all RPGs, which keeps improving: CDPR has recently introduced a remaster of its most popular title, and a new expansion, Songs of the Past, will arrive in 2027. The game won the prize over Bloodborne, Fallout 4, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, and Super Mario Maker.

2016 – Overwatch

This online multiplayer game is a unique GOTY winner to this day. Blizzard created a great game, then made a sequel, canceled the promised PvE content, removed the "2" from the new name... It's been a ride, but in 2016, Overwatch jumped over Doom, Inside, Titanfall 2, and Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End in the nomination.

2017 – The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Nintendo was the first, but not the last, Japanese developer to win GOTY, and I don't think anyone had any doubts about Breath of the Wild's success, even against Horizon Zero Dawn, Persona 5, PUBG, and Super Mario Odyssey. The game has sold over 30 million units and has become a beloved title in many players' collections.

2018 – God of War

That year was full of fantastic games, like Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Celeste, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Monster Hunter: World, and Red Dead Redemption 2, which were also nominated, but Santa Monica Studio managed to leave fans enamored with the game, bringing the award home together with statuettes for Best Game Direction and Best Action/Adventure Game. 

2019 – Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice was FromSoftware's first GOTY win, but it wouldn't be the last (spoilers!) The game sliced through competition in the form of Control, Death Stranding, Resident Evil 2, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and The Outer Worlds and emerged on top. Just like God of War before it, Sekiro also secured an award for Best Action/Adventure Game.

2020 – The Last of Us Part II

While the sequel to 2013's TLOU was drowned in acid from unsatisfied players, it didn't stop it from becoming Game of the Year, leaving Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Doom Eternal, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Ghost of Tsushima, and Hades behind. The game got a remaster several years later and an HBO show, so it's a win all around anyway.

2021 – It Takes Two

The touching cooperative action-adventure game about a married couple on the verge of divorce working together to fix their issues and return to their human bodies conquered many hearts and got its GOTY award in 2021, passing over Deathloop, Metroid Dread, Psychonauts 2, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and Resident Evil Village. Later, its developer Hazelight Studios would release Split Fiction, another popular split-screen adventure, which, unfortunately, would not get its own TGA win.

2022 – Elden Ring

To no one's surprise, Elden Ring took over YouTube and then TGA in 2022, making A Plague Tale: Requiem, God of War Ragnarök, Horizon Forbidden West, Stray, and Xenoblade Chronicles 3 fight it as if they were in FromSoftware's Soulslike itself. ER emerged victorious and was the subject of news articles the whole year and then some. Now, there's an A24 live-action adaptation coming, which will be the studio's most expensive movie ever.

2023 – Baldur's Gate 3

The RPG that changed many players' view of turn-based combat, the legendary return of Baldur's Gate, the third installment made Larian the most talked-about studio of the year and boosted its career incredibly. Yes, Alan Wake 2, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Resident Evil 4, and Super Mario Bros. Wonder were all great games, but I'm sure no one (well, aside from Spider-Man fans) doubted who the winner would be. Now, Larian is working on a new Divinity game, "even larger than Baldur's Gate 3."

2024 – Astro Bot

Now, that one baffled many, I know. A platformer about a cute robot doesn't sound like what TGA voters would choose, but it raced ahead of Balatro, Black Myth: Wukong, Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and Metaphor: ReFantazio and became the highest-rated standalone game of 2024 on Metacritic.

2025 – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Another strong winner, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was all over the news and YouTube with its gorgeous views, memorable soundtrack, and gripping gameplay. The game had formidable competition: Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Donkey Kong Bananza, Hades II, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II were nominated as well, but they just couldn't reach Expedition 33.

What will be the best game of 2026? With GTA 6 participating, I'm afraid there's no mystery here. The nominees will be revealed in mid-November, so you have time to dream.