BAFTA today announces the nominations for the 21st BAFTA Games Awards, highlighting an outstanding level of creative excellence from a broad range of UK and international development teams. A total of 41 games across 17 categories are nominated today.
The winners will be announced at the 21st BAFTA Games Awards in London on Tuesday 8 April 2025 and will stream live around the world at 19.00 BST / 14.00 ET / 11.00 PT on BAFTA’s YouTube and Twitch.
The highlights of today’s nominations are:
- 11 nominations for Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
- Eight nominations each for Astro Bot and Still Wakes the Deep
- Seven nominations for Thank Goodness You’re Here!
- Six nominations for Black Myth: Wukong
- Five nominations for Helldivers II
- Four nominations each for Animal Well, Balatro, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and LEGO Horizon Adventures
- Nominations in the Game Beyond Entertainment category are: Botany Manor, Kind Words 2 (lofi city pop), Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, Tales of Kenzera: Zau, Tetris Forever and Vampire Therapist.
- Other games receiving nominations: A Highland Song, Cat Quest III, Diablo IV, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth, Final Fantasy XIV Online, Harold Halibut, Indika, Little Kitty: Big City, Metaphor: ReFantazio, Neva, No Man’s Sky, Pacific Drive, Paper Trail, Sea of Thieves, Silent Hill 2, Star Wars Outlaws, Super Mario Party Jamboree, Tactical Breach Wizards, Tekken 8, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, The Plucky Squire, Tiny Glade, Vampire Survivors, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 and World of Warcraft.
- 11 of the 13 nominees in the performance categories receive their first BAFTA nomination. They are: Alec Newman as Cameron ‘Caz’ McLeary in Still Wakes the Deep; Isabella Inchbald as Indika in INDIKA; Humberly González as Kay Vess in Star Wars Outlaws; Luke Roberts as James Sunderland in SILENT HILL 2; Y’lan Noel as Troy Marshall in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6; Abbi Greenland & Helen Goalen as The Furies in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II; Aldís Amah Hamilton as Ástríðr in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II; Jon Blyth as Big Ron in Thank Goodness You’re Here!; Karen Dunbar as Finlay in Still Wakes the Deep; and Michael Abubakar as Brodie in Still Wakes the Deep. Only Melina Juergens (as Senua in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II) and Matt Berry (as Herbert the Gardner in Thank Goodness You’re Here!) have been nominated previously.
- Two BAFTA Breakthrough participants have been nominated: Abubakar Salim, actor and director (Breakthrough 2019), receives a nomination in Debut Game and Game Beyond Entertainment for Tales of Kenzera: Zau. In 2018 he was also BAFTA-nominated for his performance in Assassin’s Creed: Origins. Laure De Mey, programmer and director (Breakthrough 2021), receives a nomination in Game Beyond Entertainment for Botany Manor.
Jane Millichip, CEO of BAFTA, said: “Today’s list of 41 nominated games is full of fresh, bold and fantastically varied genres – cinematic blockbusters, narrative-led adventures, online multiplayers and family games. Our nominations are a fantastic way for players to discover games they might never otherwise consider. We look forward to celebrating the best of the best at the 21st BAFTA Games Awards on 8 April. Save the date and join our Awards livestream on BAFTA’s YouTube and Twitch for what promises to be a memorable night.”
Tara Saunders, chair of BAFTA’s Games Committee, said: “Today’s nominations are a celebration of 41 outstanding games that showcase the very best of the British and international games industry. They put game titles onto the global stage, unearthing hidden gems alongside the best-known game experiences of the year. A nomination is an incredible achievement for any team or individual, especially during what continues to be a turbulent and trying time for our industry. I extend my congratulations to each and every nominee for your incredible work, skill and endurance.”
The Awards, including the nominations, are voted by BAFTA’s global membership, comprising experienced games industry practitioners from a range of backgrounds in game development and production. We’re currently expanding our games membership and we encourage talented people working in games to join our membership.
BAFTA curates a year-round global programme of events and initiatives that support and promote the games industry, including a bespoke programme for BAFTA members. The BAFTA Games programme includes masterclasses, panels and networking events, with a live event featuring this year’s British Game nominees planned for later this month. BAFTA’s Young Game Designers programme has been running since 2010 and gives educators and young people aged 10-18 an insight into the industry and access to expertise to help develop their ideas and build networks.
The BAFTA Games Awards is supported by BAFTA’s official partners EE, Epic Games, PlayStation and The Langham.
The BAFTA Games Awards is part of the London Games Festival, which runs from 2 April to 13 April across the UK capital. Now in its 10th year, the festival welcomes 100,000 to the city every year across a range of events for public and industry audiences. These include: Ensemble, an exhibition celebrating UK games professionals from Black, Asian and underrepresented ethnicities; global investment event Games Finance Market; and new consumer expo New Game Plus. LGF is delivered by Games London and supported by the Mayor of London. Games London’s activity – which includes the games festival, talent development initiatives and trade missions – has generated over close to £200m for participating games businesses since 2015.
