Expedition 33 and Ghost of Yōtei Lead the 29th D.I.C.E. Awards Nominations

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) has revealed the nominees for the 29th annual D.I.C.E. Awards, and two titles clearly dominate the field: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Ghost of Yōtei, each earning eight nominations.

The two projects outpaced the rest of the competition, reinforcing their status as major critical standouts of 2025.

The winners will be selected by more than 30,000 AIAS members, with the ceremony scheduled for February 13 at 07:00 MSK.

Most Nominated Games

The nomination leaderboard looks as follows:

  • Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 — 8 nominations
  • Ghost of Yōtei — 8 nominations
  • ARC Raiders — 6 nominations
  • Dispatch — 6 nominations
  • Blue Prince — 5 nominations
  • Death Stranding 2: On The Beach — 4 nominations

While Expedition 33 and Ghost of Yōtei lead overall, several other projects secured strong multi-category representation, particularly ARC Raiders and Dispatch.

Key Creative Categories

Outstanding Achievement in Animation

Nominees include:

  • Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
  • Ghost of Yōtei
  • Monster Hunter Wilds
  • South of Midnight
  • The Midnight Walk

Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction

  • Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  • Death Stranding 2
  • Dispatch
  • Ghost of Yōtei
  • The Midnight Walk

Outstanding Character

Two characters from Expedition 33 received recognition, alongside entries from Dispatch and Ghost of Yōtei — highlighting strong performance capture and narrative design across multiple titles.

Outstanding Original Music

  • Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  • Ghost of Yōtei
  • Herdling
  • Mario Kart World
  • Sword of the Sea

Technical and Design Recognition

Outstanding Technical Achievement

  • ARC Raiders
  • Assassin’s Creed Shadows
  • Death Stranding 2
  • Donkey Kong Bananza
  • DOOM: The Dark Ages

Outstanding Achievement in Game Design

  • ARC Raiders
  • Blue Prince
  • Hades II
  • Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
  • Öoo

Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction

  • Blue Prince
  • Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  • Ghost of Yōtei
  • Hades II
  • Kingdom Come: Deliverance II

Genre Categories

The nominations also span across traditional genre awards:

  • Best Action Game: ARC Raiders, DOOM: The Dark Ages, Hades II, Ninja Gaiden 4
  • Best Adventure Game: Blue Prince, Dispatch, Ghost of Yōtei, Hollow Knight: Silksong
  • Best RPG: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Citizen Sleeper 2, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, Monster Hunter Wilds, The Outer Worlds 2
  • Best Online Game: ARC Raiders, Battlefield 6, Mario Kart World, Marvel Rivals, Split Fiction

VR, mobile, fighting, sports, strategy and family categories are also represented, showcasing the breadth of 2025’s releases.

Game of the Year Nominees

The five contenders for Game of the Year are:

  • ARC Raiders
  • Blue Prince
  • Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  • Dispatch
  • Ghost of Yōtei

With both Expedition 33 and Ghost of Yōtei leading in total nominations, they enter the ceremony as statistical frontrunners. However, ARC Raiders and Blue Prince have demonstrated strength across design and technical categories, keeping the race competitive.

What Makes D.I.C.E. Different?

Unlike purely media-driven awards, D.I.C.E. is voted on by industry professionals through AIAS membership. That peer-based structure often results in winners that reflect developer recognition rather than pure commercial performance.

With more than 30,000 voting members, the outcome tends to highlight:

  • Craft excellence
  • Technical execution
  • Direction and design innovation

The 29th D.I.C.E. Awards ceremony will take place on February 13, where the final winners across all categories — including Game of the Year — will be announced.

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