The lights dim, the orchestra swells, and Geoff Keighley steps onto the stage with an envelope that carries the weight of a billion-dollar industry. You've seen it a dozen times. But every year, as soon as the game of the year vote concludes, the internet turns into a digital battlefield.
People scream about "rigged" results. They claim their favorite indie was "robbed." Honestly, it’s a mess.
But here's the thing: most players don't actually understand how the voting math works. They think it's a simple popularity contest where the game with the most fans wins. It isn't. Not even close. If you want to understand why Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 just swept the 2025 awards while Death Stranding 2 went home with nothing despite eight nominations, you have to look at the gears behind the curtain.
The 90/10 Split: Why Your Vote Kinda Matters (But Not Really)
Let’s get the elephant out of the room. The Game Awards operates on a weighted system.
The "Jury"—a group of over 100 global media outlets and influencer groups—holds 90% of the power. The remaining 10% comes from the public fan vote.
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This exists for a very specific reason: to prevent "social engineering." If the vote were 100% public, every single award would just go to the game with the biggest marketing budget or the most aggressive subreddit. Think about it. A niche, artistic masterpiece like Blue Prince wouldn't stand a chance against the sheer numbers of a Fortnite or a Genshin Impact fan base.
The jury is there to act as a critical buffer. They are looking at technical achievement, narrative depth, and "vibe" shifts in the industry. This is exactly how Clair Obscur: Expedition 33—a debut title from Sandfall Interactive—managed to beat out massive sequels like Hollow Knight: Silksong and Hades II. It wasn't because more people played it; it was because the people who criticize games for a living were floored by its innovation.
The "Players' Voice" Exception
There is one place where the jury has zero power. That’s the Players' Voice award.
In 2025, we saw this play out perfectly. While the main game of the year vote went to Expedition 33, the Players' Voice went to Wuthering Waves. This happens almost every year. The "critical" darling wins the big trophy, and the "community" darling wins the popularity contest. It’s a fascinating divide that shows the gap between what critics value and what people actually spend 500 hours playing on their phones.
Why Some Massive Games Get Snubbed
You ever wonder why a game that everyone is talking about doesn't even get a nomination? Usually, it's the "Cutoff Date."
For the 2025 cycle, games had to be out by November 21. Anything released after that—like some of the late December surprise hits—gets pushed into the 2026 bucket.
Then there’s the "Recency Bias" problem. Games that come out in February or March often struggle to stay in the minds of the jury by the time the December ballots go out. It's why developers are terrified of "the summer drought." If you release in June, you better hope your game is as impactful as Baldur's Gate 3 was, or people will literally forget it existed by Thanksgiving.
The 2026 Horizon: Is the Next Winner Already Decided?
We are currently sitting in January 2026, and the gossip mills are already churning.
If you look at the upcoming release schedule, the game of the year vote for 2026 is already looking like a "clash of the titans" scenario. We have Grand Theft Auto VI looming over the entire industry with a November 19 release date. That is dangerously close to the eligibility cutoff.
If Rockstar hits that date, it’s basically a localized earthquake for gaming awards. But don't count out the others:
- Resident Evil Requiem: Capcom is moving away from the Ethan Winters saga, and the buzz around new protagonist Grace Ashcroft is massive.
- Marvel’s Wolverine: Insomniac hasn't missed in years. A "R-rated" superhero game? The jury will eat that up.
- The Duskbloods: Hidetaka Miyazaki doing gothic vampires. History shows that you never, ever bet against FromSoftware at an awards show.
How to Make Your Vote Actually Count
If you're tired of seeing "the wrong game" win, you have to play the game.
Most people wait until the final week of December to care. By then, the jury has already submitted their primary ballots. If you want to influence the game of the year vote, you have to be loud throughout the year.
- Participate in the Nominations: Many jury outlets actually look at their own community polls to decide what goes on their "Top 5" ballots in November.
- The Bilibili Factor: If you're following the international scene, the Chinese voting blocks on platforms like Bilibili are becoming massive influencers in the 10% fan portion.
- Support the "Impact" Games: The jury loves a narrative. If a game like South of Midnight or South of Circle moves the needle on representation or accessibility, it gets a massive "hidden" boost in the points tally.
At the end of the day, these awards are a snapshot of a moment in time. They aren't an objective truth. Hollow Knight: Silksong might have lost the big trophy to Expedition 33 in 2025, but it won "Best Action Adventure" and "Steam's Game of the Year."
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The real value of the vote isn't just the trophy—it's the fact that for one night, the entire world actually stops to argue about art.
Next Steps for You:
Check the official The Game Awards FAQ to see the exact jury list for your region. If you want to stay ahead of the 2026 curve, start tracking the Metacritic scores for Resident Evil Requiem and Fable this spring; historically, anything that stays above a 92 through the summer becomes a lock for a GOTY nomination.