Players decide PlayStation Blog GOTY 2025 – every winner and key trends

PlayStation has published the community‑driven results of its Game of the Year 2025 voting. According to the official blog, players cast nearly 1.5 million votes across 19 categories, with winners determined solely by fan ballots. The spread spans creative disciplines – from story and soundtrack to accessibility – alongside platform and studio awards. Ghost of Yōtei emerged as the most decorated title, while Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 claimed major narrative and indie honors. Kojima Productions was voted Studio of the Year, and Marvel’s Wolverine led the Most Anticipated category for 2026 and beyond.

How the voting shook out

The 2025 slate was competitive across the board, with the blog noting tough choices and a tight finish in several categories. Player votes alone set the final order – no juries or weighted scoring. Notably, multiple categories saw late surges near closing hours before results locked.

Category winners at a glance

Below is a compact snapshot of all Platinum Trophy winners. The table gathers each category and the top community pick – a quick reference if you want the essentials first.

Ghost of Yōtei leads the pack

Ghost of Yōtei earned the Platinum in Best PS5 Game and swept several craft categories, including Graphical Showcase, Art Direction, Audio Design, Accessibility Features and Use of DualSense. It also took Best New Character for Atsu – portrayed by Erika Ishii – credited by voters for a complete character arc and multi‑discipline combat style. The game placed Gold in Best Story and Gold in Best Soundtrack as well, with the soundtrack noted for authentic Japanese instrumentation by composer Toma Otowa and a collaborative “Watanabe Mode” nod.

• Best PS5 Game – Platinum
• Best Graphical Showcase – Platinum (dense foliage, ray tracing, historical detail were highlighted)
• Best Art Direction – Platinum
• Best Audio Design – Platinum
• Best Accessibility Features – Platinum (expanded assists and alternate inputs)
• Best Use of DualSense – Platinum (haptics, adaptive triggers, interactive moments)
• Best New Character – Platinum (Atsu)
• Best Story – Gold
• Best Soundtrack – Gold

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – narrative, score and indie standout

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 topped Best Story and Best Soundtrack, and was voted Best Independent Game. The blog highlights the game’s deft balance of heavier themes with levity and a finale that fueled post‑game discussion. Composer Lorien Testard’s score spans character themes, orchestral arrangements and vocals from Alice Duport‑Percier. Expedition 33 also secured Gold in Best Art Direction and Silver in Best Use of DualSense.

Death Stranding 2 and other major placements

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach appeared across multiple categories – Gold in Graphical Showcase, Gold in Audio Design, Gold in Use of DualSense, plus Silver in Best Story, Silver in Best Soundtrack and Silver in Best PS5 Game. The studio behind it, Kojima Productions, was voted Studio of the Year – Platinum. Elsewhere, Hollow Knight: Silksong gained Best PS4 Game – Platinum and placed strongly in character, art, audio and soundtrack categories.

Multiplayer, ongoing support and VR

• Best Multiplayer Experience – Platinum: Battlefield 6 (Arc Raiders – Gold; Marvel Rivals – Silver; Split Fiction – Bronze)
• Best Ongoing Game – Platinum: Genshin Impact (Marvel Rivals – Gold; Fortnite – Silver; Honkai: Star Rail – Bronze)
• Best PS VR2 Game – Platinum: Alien: Rogue Incursion (Hitman World of Assassination – Gold; The Midnight Walk – Silver; Zombie Army VR – Bronze)

Voters cited Battlefield 6’s large‑scale battles, while ongoing support for Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail resonated with the live‑service audience. On PS VR2, Alien: Rogue Incursion narrowly edged past IO Interactive’s Hitman: World of Assassination for the top spot.

Remasters and expansions

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In rereleases, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered took Platinum after a close race, followed by Days Gone Remastered (Gold), Tomb Raider IV–VI Remastered (Silver) and Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles (Bronze).

For new content drops, Lies of P: Overture won Best Expansion – Platinum with a prequel that adds bosses and story foundations. Helldivers 2: Heart of Democracy took Gold, Assassin’s Creed Shadows: Claws of Awaji earned Silver, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle – The Order of Giants claimed Bronze.

Platform‑focused awards

• Best PS4 Game – Platinum: Hollow Knight: Silksong (Elden Ring Nightreign – Gold; Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds – Silver; Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 – Bronze)
• Best PS5 Game – Platinum: Ghost of Yōtei (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – Gold; Death Stranding 2: On the Beach – Silver; Arc Raiders – Bronze)

Silksong’s 2D platforming challenge resonated most on PS4, while Ghost of Yōtei’s technical and design execution carried it to PS5’s top honor.

Character, art, audio and music – additional notes

• Best New Character: Hornet (Hollow Knight: Silksong) – Gold; Maelle (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33) – Silver; Hinako (Silent Hill f) – Bronze
• Best Art Direction: Gold – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33; Silver – Hollow Knight: Silksong; Bronze – Silent Hill f
• Best Audio Design: Gold – Death Stranding 2; Silver – Battlefield 6; Bronze – Hollow Knight: Silksong
• Best Soundtrack: Gold – Ghost of Yōtei (composer Toma Otowa); Silver – Death Stranding 2 (Ludvig Forssell and collaborators); Bronze – Hollow Knight: Silksong (Christopher Larkin)

Most Anticipated for 2026 and beyond

The most contested forward‑looking category ended with Marvel’s Wolverine – Platinum, followed by Resident Evil Requiem – Gold, 007 First Light – Silver and LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight – Bronze. The blog notes a sizeable volume of write‑ins across this category.

Final takeaway – what it means for players

The 2025 results highlight how community voting rewards complete packages – technical craft, strong storytelling and player‑first features like accessibility. For newcomers, the winners table offers a clear starting roadmap across genres and platforms. If you’re prioritizing a backlog, Ghost of Yōtei and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 stood out across multiple disciplines, while Death Stranding 2, Battlefield 6 and Alien: Rogue Incursion define the year’s variety in big‑budget, multiplayer and VR spaces.