The 2025 BAFTA Games Awards: All Nominations
2024's game award season has arrived. The Streamer Awards highlighted some of the best gaming talent on December 7, and the Game Awards will take place on December 12. The prestigious BAFTA Games Awards has also released a full list of nominations for its 2025 ceremony, including community favorites like Baldur's Gate 3, World of Warcraft and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. Here's everything we know about the BAFTA Games Awards, including when they will be held and which games will be nominated in each of its seventeen categories.
What is the BAFTA Games Awards?
The BAFTA Games Awards is an event hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). It aims to recognize and award the best games produced in a given year. The event also has a specific category to acknowledge British games. Every nominated title is selected by "over 1,300 experienced games industry professionals—all members of BAFTA, the arts charity for film, games and television." Each game submitted also must have been published between November 25, 2023, and November 15, 2024.
When is the 2025 BAFTA Games Awards?
The BAFTA Games Awards has just released game nominations as of December 10 2024, but the award process spans several months. BAFTA associates will begin voting on the selected nominees in January 2025. In the 'Best Game' and 'British Game' categories, only BAFTA-selected judges will vote. In all other categories, juries will decide which game wins.
After this voting process is completed, BAFTA will officially announce the year's winners at the 2025 BAFTA Games Awards on Tuesday, April 8, 2025.
1. Best Game
- The Best Game category aims to recognize the single best title produced from 2023 to 2025. Fan-favorite games including Black Myth: Wukong, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 are all in the running.
Nominees:
ANIMAL WELL
Astro Bot
Balatro
Black Myth: Wukong
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Helldivers 2
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
Metaphor: ReFantazio
Thank Goodness You’re Here!
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
2. Animation
The BAFTA Games Award's Animation category pays homage to titles with the smoothest graphics and "the highest level of excellence in bringing a game to life." According to BAFTA's rulebook, it considers "all elements of animation" including NPCs, ambient environments and face rigs.
Nominees:
Astro Bot
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Harold Halibut
Helldivers 2
LEGO Horizon Adventures
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
Thank Goodness You’re Here!
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
3. Artistic Achievement
The 'Artistic Achievement' award is dedicated to games "demonstrating exceptional visual art" and craftsmanship. It applies to titles of all genres.
Nominees:
ANIMAL WELL
Astro Bot
Black Myth: Wukong
FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH
Harold Halibut
Metaphor: ReFantazio
Neva
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
Still Wakes the Deep
Thank Goodness You’re Here!
4. Audio Achievement
Sound design can make or break a game. The BAFTA Game Awards' 'Audio Achievement' category pays homage to often underappreciated sound designers and audio techs who create the best in-game effects.
Nominees:
ANIMAL WELL
Astro Bot
Black Myth: Wukong
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH
Helldivers 2
Metaphor: ReFantazio
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
Star Wars Outlaws
Still Wakes the Deep
5. British Game
The BAFTA Games Awards has a special category for British-created games. To qualify, "Creative control and overall development must be led by a British studio" and developers must answer a set of questions to ensure their practices are up to BAFTA standards.
Nominees:
Botany Manor
Crow Country
EA SPORTS F1 24
A Highland Song
LEGO Horizon Adventures
Paper Trail
Planet Coaster 2
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
Still Wakes the Deep
Thank Goodness You’re Here!
6. Debut Game
Studios entering the competitive game market must show up with creativity, passion and dedication. BAFTA's 'Debut Game' award honors studios' first released titles which go above and beyond.
Nominees:
ANIMAL WELL
Balatro
Botany Manor
Harold Halibut
Little Kitty, Big City
Pacific Drive
The Plucky Squire
Tales of Kenzera: ZAU
Thank Goodness You’re Here!
Tiny Glade
7. Evolving Game
The 'Evolving Game' award recognizes "games released before 2024 which have received, and will continue to receive,
regular updates and significant enhancements to improve the game and to support the community." The category includes classic titles such as Baldur's Gate 3, Factorio, Minecraft, Sea of Thieves and World of Warcraft.
Nominees:
Baldur’s Gate 3
Diablo IV
Factorio
FINAL FANTASY XIV ONLINE
HITMAN World of Assassination
Minecraft
No Man’s Sky
Sea of Thieves
Vampire Survivors
World of Warcraft
8. Family
Every gamer can remember a title that made their childhood special. BAFTA's 'Family' category includes games with "the best game experience for a family audience, whether played as individuals or as a group." All nominated titles must have a PEGI rating of 12 or under.
Nominees:
ANIMAL WELL
Astro Bot
Cat Quest III
EA SPORTS FC 25
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
LEGO Horizon Adventures
Little Kitty, Big City
Planet Coaster 2
The Plucky Squire
Super Mario Party Jamboree
9. Game Beyond Entertainment
The 'Game Beyond Entertainment' award pays respects to titles that "raise awareness through empathy and
emotional impact, to engage with real world problems, or to make the world a better place."
Nominees:
Botany Manor
Frostpunk 2
INDIKA
Kind Words 2 (lofi city pop)
Life is Strange: Double Exposure
Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
Tales of Kenzera: ZAU
Tetris Forever
Vampire Therapist
10. Game Design
The 'Game Design' category takes a title's entire conception into consideration, from mechanics to worldbuilding and more.
Nominees:
ANIMAL WELL
Astro Bot
Balatro
Helldivers 2
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
Metaphor: ReFantazio
Pacific Drive
Tactical Breach Wizards
UFO 50
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
11. Multiplayer
Games are more fun with friends — according to BAFTA, the 'Multiplayer' category highlights "the best multiplayer game experience, including social, online or local / couch co-op."
Nominees:
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
EA SPORTS FC 25
Helldivers 2
LEGO Horizon Adventures
Star Wars: Hunters
Super Mario Party Jamboree
TEKKEN 8
UFO 50
V Rising
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
12. Music
The BAFTA Games Awards' 'Music' award goes to the title with "excellence in composition for a game music score, through original music and/or creative
use of licensed tracks."
Nominees:
Astro Bot
Balatro
Black Myth: Wukong
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Dragon Age: The Veilguard
FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH
Helldivers 2
Metaphor: ReFantazio
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
Star Wars Outlaws
13. Narrative
A strong storyline can help immerse the player into a game's vivid world. The 'Narrative' category aims to recognize "excellence in the creation and delivery of the best story or narrative that captivates and engages the
player."
Nominees:
Black Myth: Wukong
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Dragon Age: The Veilguard
FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH
Helldivers 2
Life is Strange: Double Exposure
Metaphor: ReFantazio
Pacific Drive
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
Still Wakes the Deep
14. New Intellectual Property
The 'New Intellectual Property' award recognizes a game which is forging its own path and not part of a pre-established franchise.
Nominees:
ANIMAL WELL
Balatro
Black Myth: Wukong
Little Kitty, Big City
Metaphor: ReFantazio
Pacific Drive
The Plucky Squire
Stellar Blade
Still Wakes the Deep
Thank Goodness You’re Here!
15. Technical Achievement
The 'Technical Achievement' award takes a game's craftsmanship into account and considers "all elements of gameplay programming and visual engineering."
Nominees:
Astro Bot
Batman: Arkham Shadow
Black Myth: Wukong
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH
Helldivers 2
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
SILENT HILL 2
Tiny Glade
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
16. Performer in a Leading Role
The 'Performer in a Leading Role' title goes to an actor who brings a main character to life. It considers both voice and motion-capture performances.
Nominees:
Roger Craig Smith as Batman, Bruce Wayne, Matches Malone in Batman: Arkham Shadow
Alec Newman as Cameron ‘Caz’ McLeary in Still Wakes the Deep
Cody Christian as Cloud Strife in FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH
Isabella Inchbald as Indika in INDIKA
Luke Roberts as James Sunderland in SILENT HILL 2
Humberly González as Kay Vess in Star Wars Outlaws
Clive Standen as Lieutenant Demetrian TItus in Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
Em Humble as Marge, Florence, Carrie, Nick, Chimney Sweep Sue, and more in Thank Goodness You’re Here!
Melina Juergens as Senua in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
Y’lan Noel as Troy Marshall in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
17. Performer in a Supporting Role
Supporting roles liven up a game's atmosphere, and the 'Performer in a Supporting Role' title goes to "the best supporting performance featured in a game."
Nominees:
Aldís Amah Hamilton as Ástríðr in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
John Eric Bentley as Barret Wallace in FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH
Jon Blyth as Big Ron in Thank Goodness You’re Here!
Michael Abubakar as Brodie in Still Wakes the Deep
Adam McNamara as Captain Sevastus Acheran in Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
Karen Dunbar as Finlay in Still Wakes the Deep
Troy Baker as Harvey Dent, Rat King, Two-Face, Joker in Batman: Arkham Shadow
Matt Berry as Herbert the Gardner in Thank Goodness You’re Here!
Craig Lee Thomas as Super Earth Spokesperson in Helldivers 2
Abbi Greenland & Helen Goalen as The Furies in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
