Between its record-breaking Game Awards haul and it being named Game of the Year just about everywhere else, too, you might think it’s a foregone conclusion that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is going to be everyone’s GOTY. Well, not PlayStation players, apparently, as users of that particular console have dubbed Ghost of Yotei their favorite game of 2025.
The official PlayStation Blog has shared the results of its Game of the Year voting, and it’s Ghost of Yotei, not Expedition 33, that has taken home the award for best PS5 game. Before you say, “Well, yeah, Expedition 33 isn’t a PlayStation-published game, so it isn’t eligible,” fans were able to vote for any game that released on PS5 in 2025, whether it was published by PlayStation or not.
Ghost Of Yotei Wins Best PS5 Game Of 2025, Among Other Things
That’s reflected in the runners-up for best PS5 game. The PlayStation Blog uses a trophy system, awarding Yotei a platinum, and Expedition 33 a gold, as it racked up the second-highest number of votes. Death Stranding 2 earned itself a silver trophy, and Arc Raiders bagged the bronze.
Yotei was far and away the biggest winner, picking up seven awards out of the ten categories it was eligible to win. Included in its PS Blog haul were awards for best art direction – another award Clair took home at the Game Awards – best accessibility features, and Atsu won the platinum for best new character.
Clair Obscur Had Twice As Many Votes As The Next Best Game In Golden Joysticks’ Game Of The Year Race
Nothing’s stopping the Clair Obscur GOTY train.
Despite dominating that category at the Game Awards, only one Expedition 33 character made it into the top four of PlayStation’s award. That was Maelle, and not only was she beaten by Atsu, but Hornet from Hollow Knight: Silksong also ranked higher. Hinako from Silent Hill f completes the PS Blog’s best new character lineup.
Clair Obscur Did Pick Up A Few More Awards
Even though it had to take a backseat to Yotei, Expedition 33 didn’t leave empty-handed. PlayStation players – more than 1.5 million of you voted, by the way – awarded platinums to Clair for its story, its soundtrack, and labeled it the best independent game of the year.
Elsewhere, Silksong technically picked up a Game of the Year award as it was voted the best PS4 game of the year, an award neither Yotei nor Expedition 33 is eligible for. With no Mario Kart World to compete against, Sonic Racing: Crossworlds won the award for best sports game, and Oblivion Remastered, an Xbox-published game, won the PlayStation award for best rerelease/remaster, a category the Game Awards should really consider adding to its lineup.
- Released
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October 2, 2025
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Language, Partial Nudity, Use of Alcohol
- Publisher(s)
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Sony Interactive Entertainment
