Astro Bot and Black Myth: Wukong Receive Seven GDCA Nominations Each

The nominees for this year's Game Developers Choice Awards have been announced. Two studios from Asia received the most nominations. Most of the nominated studios from Europe are based in Sweden. From Germany, Osmotic Studios was at least able to make it into the list of honourable mentions.

The Hamburg-based team Osmotic Studios received an honourable mention in the Social Impact category for Closer the Distance. However, it wasn’t enough to secure a nomination. The situation was different for 11 bit studios from Poland and Nomada from Spain, both of which were nominated in the Social Impact category. They are among the very few European studios outside Sweden to receive a nomination at the GDCAs. The only other studio to achieve this was Ninja Theory from the UK, which earned two nominations—Best Technology and Best Audio.

All other European studios with nominations are based in Sweden. These include Pounce Light, nominated for Tiny Glade in the Best Technology category; Simogo, nominated for Lorelai and the Laser Eyes in the Best Design category; Wrong Organ, nominated for Mouthwashing in the Best Narrative category; and Arrowhead Game Studios, which, like Ninja Theory, received two nominations for Helldivers 2, one of which is for Game of the Year.

However, Team ASOBI from Japan and Game Science from China have by far the best chances of winning at the GDCAs. Their titles Astro Bot and Black Myth: Wukong have each been nominated seven times and, like all nominees, are also eligible for the Audience Award.

Solo developer Billy Basso, with five nominations for Animal Well, and Local Thunk, with four nominations for Balatro, are also worthy of mention.

The Game Developers Choice Awards will be presented on Wednesday, March 19, right after the 2025 Independent Games Festival Awards at Game Developers Conference in San Francisco.

#### Game Developers Choice Awards Nominees 2025

GDCA Best Audio

• Animal Well (Billy Basso / Bigmode)
• Astro Bot (Team ASOBI / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Black Myth: Wukong (Game Science)
• Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (Square Enix)
• Senua's Saga: Hellblade II (Ninja Theory / Xbox Game Studios)

Honorable Mentions: Balatro (LocalThunk / Playstack), Lorelei and the Laser Eyes (Simogo / Annapurna Interactive), Metaphor: ReFantazio (ATLUS / SEGA / Studio Zero) Neva (Nomada Studio / Devolver Digital), Silent Hill 2 (Bloober Teams SA / KONAMI)

GDCA Best Debut

• 1000xRESIST (Sunset Visitor / Fellow Traveller)
• Animal Well (Billy Basso / Bigmode)
• Balatro (LocalThunk / Playstack)
• Pacific Drive (Ironwood Studios / Kepler Interactive)
• Tiny Glade (Pounce Light)

Honorable Mentions: Manor Lords (Slavic Magic / Hooded Horse), Mullet Madjack (HAMMER95 / Epopeia Games), The Plucky Squire (All Possible Futures / Devolver Digital)

GDCA Best Design

• Animal Well (Billy Basso / Bigmode)
• Astro Bot (Team ASOBI / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Balatro (LocalThunk / Playstack)
• Black Myth: Wukong (Game Science)
• Lorelai and the Laser Eyes (Simogo / Annapurna Interactive)

Honorable Mentions: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (Square Enix), Helldivers 2 (Arrowhead Game Studios / PlayStation Publishing LLC), Satisfactory (Coffee Stain Studios / Coffee Stain Publishing), The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom (Grezzo, Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development / Nintendo), UFO 50 (Mossmouth)

GDCA Innovation Award

• Animal Well (Billy Basso / Bigmode)
• Astro Bot (Team ASOBI / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Balatro (LocalThunk / Playstack)
• Black Myth: Wukong (Game Science)
• UFO 50 (Mossmouth)

Honorable Mentions: Helldivers 2 (Arrowhead Game Studios / PlayStation Publishing LLC), Lorelei and the Laser Eyes (Simogo / Annapurna Interactive), Thank Goodness You're Here! (Coal Supper /Panic), The Plucky Squire (All Possible Futures / Devolver Digital),Tiny Glade (Pounce Light)

GDCA Best Narrative

• 1000xRESIST (Sunset Visitor / Fellow Traveller)
• Black Myth: Wukong (Game Science)
• Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio / SEGA)
• Metaphor: ReFantazio (ATLUS / SEGA / Studio Zero)
• Mouthwashing (Wrong Organ / Critical Reflex)

Honorable Mentions: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (Square Enix), Frostpunk 2 (11 bit studios), Life is Strange: Double Exposure (Deck Nine Games / Square Enix), Neva (Nomada Studio / Devolver Digital), Senua's Saga: Hellblade II (Ninja Theory / Xbox Game Studios)

GDCA Best Technology

• Astro Bot (Team ASOBI / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Black Myth: Wukong (Game Science)
• Helldivers 2 (Arrowhead Game Studios / PlayStation Publishing LLC)
• Senua's Saga: Hellblade II (Ninja Theory / Xbox Game Studios)
• Tiny Glade (Pounce Light)

Honorable Mentions: Animal Well (Billy Basso/ Bigmode), Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (Threyarch, Raven Software, Beenox, High Moon Studios, Activision Shanghai, Sledgehammer Games, Infinity Ward, Demonware /Activision), Dragon Age: The Veilguard (BioWare / Electronic Arts), Satisfactory (Coffee Stain Studios / Coffee Stain Publishing), Tekken 8 (Bandai Namco Studios Inc / Bandai Namco Entertainment)

GDCA Best Visual Art

• Animal Well (Billy Basso / Bigmode)
• Astro Bot (Team ASOBI / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Black Myth: Wukong (Game Science)
• Metaphor: ReFantazio (ATLUS / SEGA / Studio Zero)
• Neva (Nomada Studio / Devolver Digital)

Honorable Mentions: Balatro (LocalThunk / Playstack), Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree (FromSoftware Inc. / Bandai Namco Entertainment), Senua's Saga: Hellblade II (Ninja Theory / Xbox Game Studios), Tiny Glade (Pounce Light), Ultros (Hadoque / Kepler Interactive)

GDCA Social Impact

• 1000xRESIST (Sunset Visitor / Fellow Traveller)
• Astro Bot (Team ASOBI / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Frostpunk 2 (11 bit studios)
• Life is Strange: Double Exposure (Deck Nine Games/Square Enix)
• Neva (Nomada Studio/Devolver Digital)

Honorable Mentions: Closer the Distance (Osmotic Studios / Skybound Games), Distant Bloom (Ember Trail / Kina Brave), Dragon Age: The Veilguard (BioWare / Electronic Arts), Tales of Kenzera: Zau (Surgent Studios / Electronic Arts)

GDCA Game of the Year

• Astro Bot (Team ASOBI / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Balatro (LocalThunk / Playstack)
• Black Myth: Wukong (Game Science)
• Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (Square Enix)
• Helldivers 2 (Arrowhead Game Studios / PlayStation Publishing LLC)
• Metaphor: ReFantazio (ATLUS / SEGA / Studio Zero)

Honorable Mentions: Animal Well (Billy Basso/Bigmode), Helldivers 2 (Arrowhead Game Studios/PlayStation Publishing LLC), Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio/SEGA), Satisfactory (Coffee Stain Studios/Coffee Stain Publishing), UFO 50 (Mossmouth)

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