PlayStation opens PS Blog GOTY 2025 polls – deadline December 8 PT

Table of Content

PlayStation has launched the PS Blog Game of the Year Awards 2025, opening community voting across 19 categories. The initiative spotlights work from studios worldwide, from storytelling and art direction to accessibility and ongoing support. Each poll includes a write-in option, allowing players to add titles that best match a category. According to the announcement, only player votes are counted, and winners will be revealed in a few weeks.

Titles earning the majority of votes will receive PS Blog trophies at four tiers – Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. The guidelines detail how categories are defined this year, the release window that counts, and which games are ineligible due to earlier recognition.

How the PS Blog voting works

The awards are fully determined by the community – no juries or editorial ballots. Each category provides an extensive list of selections plus a write-in field. Results will be announced in the coming weeks, with the top-voted games recognized across four trophy levels on PS Blog.

Voting closes on Monday, December 8 at 23:59 PT. The nominees list for the year observes an annual cutoff of November 30.

Eligibility and category rules

• Best PS5 Game counts games newly released in the current calendar year and also includes titles that launched after the November 30 cutoff for the 2024 nominees.
• Best Multiplayer Experience focuses on titles released in 2025.
• Best Ongoing Game highlights titles that delivered new, large-scale content or game-changing updates over this year.
• Best Rerelease (Remaster/Port) covers upgraded or ported versions that remain similar to the original; full remakes are not included here and can compete elsewhere.
• Nominee cutoff for this year is November 30; games releasing after that date move to next year’s awards cycle.
• Most Anticipated: if a title previously earned a Platinum in this category, it is ineligible this year. As a result, Grand Theft Auto VI is excluded from “Most Anticipated Game of 2026 and Beyond,” having won Platinum in 2023.

Key definitions at a glance

The table below summarizes how several major categories are scoped for 2025. These definitions shape what appears on the ballot and how players should consider their votes.

Table: How key categories are defined for 2025 voting

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All 19 categories on the ballot

• Best New Character
• Best Story
• Best Graphical Showcase
• Best Art Direction
• Best Audio Design
• Best Soundtrack
• Best Accessibility Features
• Best Use of DualSense
• Best Rerelease (Remaster)
• Best Multiplayer Experience
• Best Ongoing Game
• Best Expansion
• Best Sports Game
• Best Independent Game
• Best PS VR2 Game
• Best PS4 Game
• Best PS5 Game
• Studio of the Year
• Most Anticipated Game of 2026 and Beyond

Timeline and where to find the polls

The PS Blog polls are live now and will close on Monday, December 8 at 23:59 PT. PlayStation notes that winners will be announced in a few weeks, once voting is tallied, with recognition via PS Blog’s Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum trophies.

Final Takeaway – Player ballots set the winners

The PS Blog Game of the Year Awards are structured around a clear premise: players decide the outcome. With 19 categories, write-ins, and defined eligibility, your choices shape which studios and releases get spotlighted when results are published in the weeks ahead.