12/12/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 12/12/2025 11:40
Tonight, The Game Awards capped off an amazing year for players with its annual celebration of the biggest releases of the year. It's not only a celebration of the year's greatest games, but also a showcase of the exciting experiences on the horizon - and tonight was a treat.
We brought you Blizzard Entertainment's world premiere of Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred, the latest expansion to the iconic action RPG series, which is a culmination of everything that was set in motion the moment Lilith first entered Sanctuary. Here you'll make your final stand against Mephisto, the Prime Evil, in a sprawling new campaign set in the ancient region of Skovos. It will also feature two new classes, including the mighty Paladin, Skill Tree reworks, a level cap increase, and an overhauled endgame designed around choice, mastery, and high-stakes rewards. Prepare to face the reckoning when Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred launches April 28, 2026, on Battle.net, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and Steam - learn more here on Xbox Wire.
We also got our first look at the sequel to the critically acclaimed Control with the announcement of Control Resonant, the reveal of Ontos, the newest game from Amnesia and Soma creators Frictional, and the news that not one but two Tomb Raider games are in development: Legacy of Atlantis and Catalyst, among the many other announcements.
We're also thrilled that our friends at Sandfall Interactive garnered so many nominations and wins this evening for their standout title, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which is available to play today with Game Pass Ultimate. From its world reveal at Xbox Game Showcase 2024 to its critical acclaim today - it's the biggest new third-party Game Pass title of the year - and it has been amazing to see this studio receive so much recognition for their beloved game.
If you'd like to learn more about many of the reveals tonight, Xbox Wire has you covered with in-depth previews for Control Resonant, No Law, Lords of the Fallen 2, Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis & Catalyst, Ontos, and Expedition 33's new expansion.
And in case you missed it, just prior to the curtain raising for The Game Awards, we dropped a special edition of The Official Xbox Podcast. In addition to hearing from many of the night's nominees, we revealed that a brand-new Developer_Direct is heading your way in January, featuring Playground Games. Additionally, Compulsion Games shared that the multi-nominated and award-winning South of Midnight will be playable by more players in Spring 2026, when it comes to PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2. You can watch the whole episode right here.
All Xbox Winners and Nominees
Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda Softworks received multiple nominations for several titles at The Game Awards 2025 for Avowed, DOOM: The Dark Ages, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Ninja Gaiden 4, South of Midnight, and The Outer Worlds 2 - and we're thrilled that DOOM: The Dark Ages took home the award for Innovation in Accessibility and South of Midnight for Games for Impact. And many of our third-party partners garnered multiple nominations and wins, including Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and ARC Raiders.
On behalf of the creative teams at Xbox, Bethesda Softworks, Activision, and Blizzard, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to this year's winners and nominees!
First-Party Winners & Nominees