The excitement is building as The Game Awards unveils the 30 contenders for its prestigious Players’ Voice category, showcasing an impressive lineup of both popular and emerging esports titles. This announcement kicks off the first voting round, inviting players to select their top 10 favorites to progress to the next stage.
Esports Titles in The Players’ Voice
This year’s nominees feature several standout esports games. Among them, Fortnite continues its reign as a leading multiplayer shooter since its launch in 2017. Epic Games has further propelled its competitive scene, notably through events like the Fortnite Champion Series, which introduced trios to the Global Championship held in Lyon-Décines, France. The game also keeps players engaged with its regular Ranked and Victory Cups, offering regional competitions and in-game rewards.
Emerging in the hero shooter genre, Marvel Rivals has quickly gained traction with its seasonal Championships and the premiere Ignite series, culminating in the Grand Finals at DreamHack Atlanta. Whether NetEase will sustain its competitive scene remains to be seen. Similarly, Battlefield 6 has captured the spotlight since its November release, hosting creator tournaments like the CouRage Clash and announcing its first competitive season, the Elite Series, with a substantial prize pool of $1 million.
Other games have also made their mark in esports this year. Notably, the free-to-play shooter Delta Force hosted its inaugural invitational in China with a $500,000 prize, while Mario Kart World held several competitions, including the European November Knockout and the Knockout Tour Streamer Showdown.
What is Players’ Voice?
The Players’ Voice award is a unique category within The Game Awards 2025, a renowned annual event celebrating the year’s outstanding games. Unlike other awards combining fan votes with jury decisions, Players’ Voice is solely determined by public voting. The process involves three voting rounds, gradually narrowing down the nominees to determine the ultimate winner. This eagerly awaited announcement will be made during the live show in Los Angeles on December 11th, 2025.
Here are the nominees for the first round of The Players’ Voice:
– Arc Raiders
– Battlefield 6
– Clair Obsur: Expedition 33
– Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
– Delta Force
– Dispatch
– Donkey Kong Bananza
– Doom: The Dark Ages
– Elden Ring NIghtrein
– Final Fantasy XIV
– Fortnite
– Genshin Impact
– Ghost of Yotei
– Hades II
– Helldivers 2
– Hollow Knight: Silksong
– Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
– Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
– Mario Kart World
– Marvel Rivals
– Megabonk
– Ninja Gaiden 4
– No Man’s Sky
– PEAK
– R.E.P.O.
– Silent Hill f
– Sonic Racing CrossWorlds
– Split Fiction
– Warframe
– Wuthering Waves
The Game Awards 2025 underscores its commitment to the esports community, highlighting categories like Best Esports Team, Best Athlete, and Best Esports Game.