Wccftech Awards ’25 – Best Games of 2025 and Most Anticipated of 2026 from Staff and Community

Following the conclusion of the staff and community polls, it is time to declare the winners of the Wccftech Awards '25, which include the best games of 2025 and most anticipated titles of 2026, based on the nominees from our genre lists.

Let's begin with the results of our best games of 2025 polls. When it comes to last year's releases, the Wccftech staff and our community agreed on practically every winner except for a single category, Strategy and Simulation, with our staff giving the award to Square Enix's Final Fantasy Tactics - Ivalice Chronicles, while our community preferred Slipgate's Tempest Rising.

The clear winner is, to the surprise of absolutely nobody at this point, Sandfall's Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which walks away with four prizes: best indie game and Game of the Year from both staff and community.

The universally acclaimed game did, however, lose to Warhorse's Kingdom Come: Deliverance II in the best RPG category. Other multi-winners in the Wccftech Awards '25 include Sucker Punch's Ghost of Yotei in the action category, Team Cherry's Hollow Knight: Silksong in the platform category, Nintendo's Mario Kart World in the sports/racing category, AdHoc Studio's Dispatch in the adventure category, EA's Battlefield 6 in the shooter category, KONAMI's Silent Hill f in the horror category, KOF Studio's FATAL FURY: City of Wolves in the fighting category, Embark's ARC Raiders in the multiplayer category, and NEOWIZ's Lies of P: Overture in the DLC/expansion category.

Without further ado, scroll for the full breakdown of the votes and rankings.

1. Ghost of Yotei - WINNER (28,95% votes)
2. Ninja Gaiden 4 - RUNNER UP (26,32% votes)
3. The First Berserker: Khazan (23,68% votes)
4. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond (13,16% votes )
5. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater (7,89% votes)

1. Ghost of Yotei - WINNER (57,14% votes)
2. Ninja Gaiden 4 - RUNNER UP (42,86% votes)
3. The First Berserker: Khazan (0% votes)
4. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond (0% votes)
5. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater (0% votes

1. Dispatch - WINNER (71,43% votes)
2. Blue Prince - RUNNER UP (28,57%)
3. Keeper (0% votes)
4. Lost Records: Bloom & Rage (0% votes)
5. Midnight Walk (0% votes)

1. Dispatch - WINNER (50,96% votes)
2. Blue Prince - RUNNER UP (16,56% votes)
3. Keeper (12,74% votes)
4. Lost Records: Bloom & Rage (11,46% votes)
5. The Midnight Walk (8,28% votes)

1. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II - WINNER (42,86% votes)
2. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - RUNNER UP (28,57% votes)
3. Avowed (14,29%)
4. Elden Ring Nightreign (14,29% votes)
5. Monster Hunter Wilds (0% votes)

1. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II - WINNER (44,29% votes)
2. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - RUNNER UP (43,84% votes)
3. Avowed (6,85% votes)
4. Monster Hunter Wilds (3,20% votes)
5. Elden Ring Nightreign (1,83% votes)

1. Battlefield 6 - WINNER (42,86% votes)
2. ARC Raiders - RUNNER UP (28,57% votes)
3. DOOM: The Dark Ages - RUNNER UP (28,57% votes)
4. Metal Eden (0% votes)
5. Borderlands 4 (0% votes)

1. Battlefield 6 - WINNER (34,66% votes)
2. ARC Raiders - RUNNER UP (28,29% votes)
3. DOOM: The Dark Ages (23,90% votes)
4. Metal Eden (9,16% votes)
5. Borderlands 4 (3,98% votes)

1. Silent Hill f - WINNER (71,43% votes)
2. Cronos: The New Dawn - RUNNER UP (14,29% votes)
3. ROUTINE - RUNNER UP (14,29% votes)
4. Dying Light: The Beast (0% votes)
5. Hell is Us (0% votes)

1. Silent Hill f - WINNER (41,25% votes)
2. Cronos: The New Dawn - RUNNER UP (30,00% votes)
3. Dying Light: The Beast (12,50% votes)
4. ROUTINE (10,00% votes)
5. Hell is Us (6,25% votes)

1. FATAL FURY: City of Wolves - WINNER (42,86% votes)
2. 2XKO - RUNNER UP (28,57% votes)
3. Absolum - RUNNER UP (28,57% votes)
4. CAPCOM Fighting Collection 2 (0% votes)
5. Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage (0% votes)

1. FATAL FURY: City of Wolves - WINNER (34,21% votes)
2. CAPCOM Fighting Collection 2 - RUNNER UP (23,68% votes)
3. Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage (21,05% votes)
4. Absolum (13,16% votes)
5. 2XKO (7,89% votes)

1. Hollow Knight: Silksong - WINNER (42,86% votes)
2. Donkey Kong Bananza - RUNNER UP (28,57% votes)
3. Revenge of the Savage Planet (14,29% votes)
4. Split Fiction (14,29% votes)
5. Donkey Kong Country Returns HD (0% votes)

1. Hollow Knight: Silksong - WINNER (46,03% votes)
2. Split Fiction - RUNNER UP (26,98% votes)
3. Donkey Kong Bananza (23,81% votes)
4. Revenge of the Savage Planet (1,59% votes)
5. Donkey Kong Country Returns HD (1,59% votes)

1. Mario Kart World - WINNER (85,71% votes)
2. Rematch - RUNNER UP (14,29% votes)
3. Sonic Racing: Crossworlds (0% votes)
4. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 (0% votes)
5. F1 25 (0% votes)

1. Mario Kart World - WINNER (33,93% votes)
2. Sonic Racing: Crossworlds - RUNNER UP (26,79% votes)
3. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 (16,07% votes)
4. F1 25 (16,07% votes)
5. Rematch (7,14% votes)

1. Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles - WINNER (42,86% votes)
2. Tempest Rising - RUNNER UP (14,29% votes)
3. Two Point Museum - RUNNER UP (14,29% votes)
4. Civilization VII - RUNNER UP (14,29% votes)
5. Mount & Blade II - Bannerlord: War Sails - RUNNER UP (14,29% votes)

1. Tempest Rising - WINNER (40,00% votes)
2. Two Point Museum - RUNNER UP (18,89% votes)
3. Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles (16,67% votes)
4. Civilization VII (13,33% votes)
5. Mount & Blade II - Bannerlord: War Sails (11,11% votes)

1. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - WINNER (50,00% votes)
2. Hades II - RUNNER UP (33,33% votes)
3. Hollow Knight: Silksong (16,67% votes)
4. Routine (0% votes)
5. Eternal Strands (0% votes)

1. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - WINNER (50,00% votes)
2. Hollow Knight: Silksong - RUNNER UP (20,63% votes)
3. Hades II (19,84% votes)
4. Routine (5,56% votes)
5. Eternal Strands (3,97% votes)

• ARC Raiders - WINNER (42,86% votes)
• Battlefield 6 - RUNNER UP (28,57% votes)
• Elden Ring Nightreign (14,29% votes)
• Peak (14,29% votes)
• Split Fiction (0% votes)

1. ARC Raiders - WINNER (32,33% votes)
2. Battlefield 6 - RUNNER UP (29,32% votes)
3. Split Fiction (21,80% votes)
4. Elden Ring Nightreign (13,53% votes)
5. Peak (3,01% votes)

1. Lies of P: Overture - WINNER (42,86% votes)
2. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II - Mysteria Ecclesiae - RUNNER UP (28,57% votes)
3. Sea of Stars: Throes of the Watchmaker (14,29%)
4. Kirby and the Forgotten Land + Star-Crossed World (14,29% votes)
5. Super Mario Party Jamboree + Jamboree TV (0% votes)

1. Lies of P: Overture - WINNER (41,67% votes)
2. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II - Mysteria Ecclesiae - RUNNER UP (29,17% votes)
3. Sea of Stars: Throes of the Watchmaker (12,50% votes)
4. Kirby and the Forgotten Land + Star-Crossed World (10,42% votes)
5. Super Mario Party Jamboree + Jamboree TV (6,25% votes)

1. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - WINNER (42,86% votes)
2. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II - RUNNER UP (28,57% votes)
3. Hollow Knight: Silksong (14,29% votes)
4. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (14,29% votes)
5. Hades II (0% votes)
6. Battlefield 6 (0% votes)
7. Dispatch (0% votes)
8. ARC Raiders (0% votes)
9. Ghost of Yotei (0% votes)
10. Split Fiction (0% votes)

1. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - WINNER (65,52% votes)
2. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II - RUNNER UP (12,93% votes)
3. Hollow Knight: Silksong (6,03% votes)
4. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (4,31% votes)
5. Hades II (3,45% votes)
6. Battlefield 6 (2,59% votes)
7. Dispatch (1,72% votes)
8. ARC Raiders (1,72% votes)
9. Split Fiction (0,86% votes)
10. Ghost of Yotei (0,86% votes)

While 2025 was essentially the year of the indie-ish, 2026 looks a lot more centered around triple-A releases, featuring heavyweight returns from triple-A developers, franchises, or both.

When it comes to the Wccftech staff and community 2026 polls, they were a fair bit more discordant than the 2025 polls, but that is to be expected given that we're talking about unreleased games. Our own staff also voted differently in a few categories, resulting in a few ties at the top.

Even so, one game emerged above all the others. Yes, it's obviously Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto 6, which received four prizes: most anticipated action game from the community, most anticipated multiplayer from the community, and most anticipated overall from both staff (tied) and community. The runner-up for most anticipated prizes is CAPCOM's Resident Evil Requiem, which got three: most anticipated horror game from both staff and community, and most anticipated overall from the staff (tied).

The other multi-winners were Playground's Fable (in the RPG category) and Forza Horizon 6 (in sports/racing), The Coalition's Gears of War: E-Day (in shooter), ARC System Works' MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls (in fighting), Crystal Dynamics/Flying Wild Hog's Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis (in platform), the untitled STALKER 2 DLC (in expansion), Creative Assembly's Total War: Warhammer 40,000 (in strategy/simulation), and Big Bad Wolf's Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss (in adventure).

Keep scrolling for the full breakdown per genre.

1. Marvel's Wolverine - WINNER (42,86% votes)
2. GTA VI - RUNNER UP (28,57% votes)
3. 007 First Light (14,29% votes)
4. Phantom Blade Zero (14,29% votes)
5. Crimson Desert (0% votes)

1. GTA VI - WINNER (46,84% votes)
2. 007 First Light - RUNNER UP (17,09% votes)
3. Crimson Desert (13,92% votes)
4. Phantom Blade Zero (12,66% votes)
5. Marvel's Wolverine (9,49% votes)

1. Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss - WINNER (42,86% votes)
2. Cairn - RUNNER UP (14,29% votes)
3. Order of the Sinking Star - RUNNER UP (14,29% votes)
4. Into the Fire - RUNNER UP (14,29% votes)
5. Tides of Tomorrow - RUNNER UP (14,29% votes)

1. Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss - WINNER (27,78% votes)
2. Tides of Tomorrow - RUNNER UP (22,22% votes)
3. Cairn (18,52% votes)
4. Order of the Sinking Star (18,52% votes)
5. Into the Fire (12,96% votes)

1. Fable - WINNER (28,6% votes)
2. Nioh 3 - WINNER (28,6% votes)
3. The Blood of Dawnwalker - RUNNER UP (14,3% votes)
4. Dragon Quest VII Reimagined - RUNNER UP (14,3% votes)
5. CONTROL Resonant - RUNNER UP (14,3% votes)

1. Fable - WINNER (32,57% votes)
2. The Blood of Dawnwalker - RUNNER UP (31,19% votes)
3. CONTROL Resonant (16,97% votes)
4. Dragon Quest VII Reimagined (12,84% votes)
5. Nioh 3 (6,42% votes)

1. Gears of War: E-Day - WINNER (71,4% votes)
2. Highguard - RUNNER UP (28,6% votes)
3. Witchfire (0% votes)
4. Halo: Campaign Evolved (0% votes)
5. Marathon (0% votes)

1. Gears of War: E-Day - WINNER (46,97% votes)
2. Witchfire - RUNNER UP (21,21% votes)
3. Halo: Campaign Evolved (18,94% votes)
4. Marathon (9,85% votes)
5. Highguard (3,03% votes)

1. Resident Evil Requiem - WINNER (71,4% votes)
2. Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Revival (14,3% votes)
3. Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake (14,3% votes)
4. Reanimal (0% votes)
5. Halloween: The Game (0% votes)

1. Resident Evil Requiem - WINNER (69,70% votes)
2. Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Revival - RUNNER UP (15,15% votes)
3. Reanimal (9,09% votes)
4. Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake (4,55% votes)
5. Halloween: The Game (1,52% votes)

1. MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls - WINNER (71,4% votes)
2. Invincible VS - RUNNER UP (14,3% votes)
3. Guilty Gear -Strive- Version 2.0 (14,3% votes)
4. Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game (0% votes)
5. 2XKO (0% votes)

1. MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls - WINNER (38,89% votes)
2. Invincible VS - RUNNER UP (22,22% votes)
3. Guilty Gear -Strive- Version 2.0 (16,67% votes)
4. Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game (11,11% votes)
5. 2XKO (11,11% votes)

1. Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis - WINNER (57,1% votes)
2. LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight - RUNNER UP (28.6% votes)
3. Yoshi and the Mysterious Book (14.3% votes)
4. Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement (0% votes)
5. Darwin's Paradox (0% votes)

1. Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis - WINNER (36,59% votes)
2. Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement - RUNNER UP (23,17% votes)
3. LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight (18,29% votes)
4. Yoshi and the Mysterious Book (12,20% votes)
5. Darwin's Paradox (9,76% votes)

1. Forza Horizon 6 - WINNER (71,4% votes)
2. Star Wars Galactic Racer - RUNNER UP (14,3% votes)
3. Mario Tennis Fever - RUNNER UP (14,3% votes)
4. Golf With Your Friends 2 (0% votes)
5. Exo Rally Championship (0% votes)

1. Forza Horizon 6 - WINNER (58,62% votes)
2. Star Wars Galactic Racer - RUNNER UP (22,41% votes)
3. Mario Tennis Fever (8,62% votes)
4. Golf With Your Friends 2 (6,90% votes)
5. Exo Rally Championship (3,45% votes)

1. Star Wars Zero Company - WINNER (28,4% votes)
2. Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve - WINNER (28,4% votes)
3. Total War: Warhammer 40,000 - WINNER (28,4% votes)
4. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV - RUNNER UP (14,3% votes)
5. Nova Roma (0% votes)

1. Total War: Warhammer 40,000 - WINNER (26,00% votes)
2. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV - RUNNER UP (22,00% votes)
3. Star Wars Zero Company (19,33% votes)
4. Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve (18,00% votes)
5. Nova Roma (14,67% votes)

1. Slay the Spire II - WINNER (71,4% votes)
2. Mina the Hollower - RUNNER UP (28,6% votes)
3. The Eternal Life of Goldman (0% votes)
4. MOUSE: P.I. For Hire (0% votes)
5. Replaced (0% votes)

1. Replaced - WINNER (38,30% votes)
2. MOUSE: P.I. For Hire - RUNNER UP (24,47% votes)
3. Slay the Spire II (19,15% votes)
4. The Eternal Life of Goldman (10,64% votes)
5. Mina the Hollower (7,45%)

1. The Duskbloods - WINNER (57,1% votes)
2. GTA VI - RUNNER UP (28,6% votes)
3. Enshrouded (14,3% votes)
4. Cinder City (0% votes)
5. Marathon (0% votes)

1. GTA VI - WINNER (54,30% votes)
2. Cinder City - RUNNER UP (15,89% votes)
3. Enshrouded (13,91% votes)
4. The Duskbloods (9,27% votes)
5. Marathon (6,62% votes)

1. STALKER 2 Heart of Chornobyl DLC - WINNER (28,6% votes)
2. Hollow Knight Silksong: Sea of Sorrow - WINNER (28,6% votes)
3. World of Warcraft: Midnight - WINNER (28,6% votes)
4. Ninja Gaiden 4: The Two Masters (14.3% votes)
5. Super Mario Bros. Wonder + Meetup in Bellabel Park (0% votes)

1. STALKER 2 Heart of Chornobyl DLC - WINNER (40,82% votes)
2. Hollow Knight Silksong: Sea of Sorrow - RUNNER UP (30,61% votes)
3. Ninja Gaiden 4: The Two Masters (14,29% votes)
4. World of Warcraft: Midnight (9,18% votes)
5. Super Mario Bros. Wonder + Meetup in Bellabel Park (5,10% votes)

1. GTA VI - WINNER (28,6% votes)
2. Resident Evil Requiem - WINNER (28,6% votes)
3. Marvel's Wolverine - WINNER (28,6% votes)
4. Phantom Blade Zero - RUNNER UP (14,3% votes)
5. The Blood of Dawnwalker (0% votes)
6. Crimson Desert (0% votes)
7. Control Resonant (0% votes)
8. 007 First Light (0% votes)
9. The Duskbloods (0% votes)
10. Nioh 3 (0% votes)

1. GTA VI - WINNER (30,05% votes)
2. Resident Evil Requiem - RUNNER UP (12,74% votes)
3. The Blood of Dawnwalker (12,02% votes)
4. Crimson Desert (11,78% votes)
5. Marvel's Wolverine (10,82% votes)
6. CONTROL Resonant (9,62% votes)
7. 007 First Light (6,97% votes)
8. Phantom Blade Zero (3,37% votes)
9. The Duskbloods (1,92% votes)
10. Nioh 3 (0,72% votes)

Congratulations to all the winners of the Wccftech Awards '25, and see you all next year!

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