Held at the Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, the ceremony honored studios and creators whose work pushed the boundaries of interactive storytelling, technical innovation, and player experience throughout 2025.
Selected by the Academy’s global membership of more than 30,000 industry professionals, this year’s winners reflected a broad spectrum of creative achievement across 23 award categories spanning design, art, animation, audio, story, and technology.
Sandfall Interactive’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 emerged as the most celebrated title of the evening, earning five awards, including Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction, Outstanding Achievement in Story, Role-Playing Game of the Year, Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction, and the night’s top honor, Game of the Year.
Sucker Punch Productions also received significant recognition for Ghost of Yōtei, taking home awards for Outstanding Achievement in Character, Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition, and Adventure Game of the Year, highlighting its artistic vision and narrative depth.
Kojima Productions was recognized for its technical mastery with Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, earning awards for Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design and Outstanding Technical Achievement.
Additional standout winners included Hades II, which claimed Action Game of the Year, Blue Prince, which earned both Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game and Outstanding Achievement in Game Design, and Arc Raiders, named Online Game of the Year.
“The games recognized at this year’s D.I.C.E. Awards showcase the extraordinary range of talent and creativity that define our industry,” said Meggan Scavio, President of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. “It’s inspiring to see how these developers continue to elevate interactive entertainment through innovation, storytelling, and meaningful player experiences.”
In addition to honoring the year’s top games, the Academy also recognized an influential leader in the interactive entertainment industry. Evan Wells, former president and co-founder of Naughty Dog, was inducted into the AIAS Hall of Fame in recognition of his decades-long contributions to game development and leadership. Throughout his career, Wells has played a pivotal role in shaping some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed and culturally impactful franchises, while championing creative excellence, mentorship, and the evolution of storytelling in games.
The ceremony brought together developers and industry professionals from around the world for an evening dedicated to celebrating creativity, collaboration, and innovation in interactive entertainment.
Attended by game creators and industry leaders, the 29th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards took place on February 12, 2026, at the Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. The event was livestreamed by media partner IGN and hosted by returning co-hosts Greg Miller of Kinda Funny and Stella Chung, uniting the global games community in celebration.
- Outstanding Achievement in Animation - South of Midnight
- Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction -Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Outstanding Achievement in Character - Ghost of Yōtei – Atsu
- Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition - Ghost of Yōtei
- Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design - Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Outstanding Achievement in Story - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Outstanding Technical Achievement - Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Action Game of the Year - Hades II
- Adventure Game of the Year - Ghost of Yōtei
- Family Game of the Year - LEGO® Party!
- Fighting Game of the Year - Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection
- Racing Game of the Year - Mario Kart World
- Role-Playing Game of the Year - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Sports Game of the Year - Rematch
- Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year - The Alters
- Online Game of the Year - Arc Raiders
- Immersive Reality Technical Achievement - Hotel Infinity
- Immersive Reality Game of the Year - Ghost Town
- Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game - Blue Prince
- Mobile Game of the Year - Persona5: The Phantom X
- Outstanding Achievement in Game Design - Blue Prince
- Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Game of the Year- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) was founded in 1996 as a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement and recognition of the interactive arts. The organization has more than 30,000 members. The mission of the AIAS is to promote and advance the worldwide interactive entertainment community; recognize outstanding achievements in the interactive arts and sciences; and host an annual awards show, the D.I.C.E. Awards, to enhance awareness of the interactive art form.
The prestigious D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Summit brings together the top video game designers and developers from around the world and business leaders from all major publishers to discuss the state of the industry, its trends, and the future.