Death Stranding 2 received seven Nominations at The Game Awards in 2025 (TGA 2025), but failed to win a single award throughout the night. Despite the game's favorable reviews and Hideo Kojima's popularity in the industry, it wasn't enough for the game to bring anything home. But what awards did it miss out on, and what does it really mean for the game?
Death Stranding 2 Didn't Win A Single Awards At The Game Awards 2025 (TGA 2025)
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Death Stranding 2 received nominations for the following awards at TGA 2025:
| Award | Lost To |
| Game of The Year | Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 |
| Best Game Direction | Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 |
| Best Narrative | Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 |
| Best Art Direction | Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 |
| Best Score & Music | Lorien Testard (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33) |
| Best Audio Design | Battlefield 6 |
| Best Action/Adventure | Hollow Knight: Silksong |
Why Death Stranding 2 Didn't Win Game of The Year – TGA 2025
There are several reasons as to why Death Stranding 2 may not have won Game of The Year at TGA 2025.
The biggest reason is that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 just caught the world by storm. It reportedly sold over 5 million units just six months after launch while receiving critical acclaim from critics and the public. It currently holds a 92 Metacritic score across 84 reviews. These factors played a big role in helping the game beat DS2 in five different categories.
Furthermore, Death Stranding 2 is a different kind of game like the others that were nominated for GOTY. Clair Obscur is a turn-based RPG that entices fans of the genre with its narrative, gameplay, level design, and more. DS2, on the other hand, is an open world game that revolves around delivering packages.
Of course, the game is a bit more complex than that, and with its online features, you can help other players across the world. There's also combat, vehicles you can drive, and a lot more despite its seemingly simple objective. But despite these features, there are going to be many who just see it as a “walking simulator”.
Not winning an award at TGA is not indicative of anything bad on Death Stranding 2's part. The game received favorable reviews at launch (with an 89 metacritic score across 147 reviews) and reportedly sold over a million copies just weeks after its launch.
Death Stranding 2 isn't the only game to have this kind of night. In fact, Spider-Man 2 suffered a similar fate just two years ago. Insomniac's S5 exclusive never won a single award despite its seven nominations.
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