2025 Canadian Game Awards Nominees Revealed, Award Show Held on February 15

The Canadian Game Awards return in a short months time. Being hosted on February 15th, 2025 at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT in downtown Toronto, the Canadian Game Awards sets out to recognize outstanding games, creators, and esports teams from 2024. The award show will be held in person at the TIFF Lightbox in Toronto next month.

Across many categories, Canadian games that launched in 2024 have been recognized by a jury of Canadian voices and media personnel. Additionally, the Canadian Game Awards highlights many of the studios that launched a new game last year. Spanning AAA games and indies, the Canadian Game Awards is a celebration that recognizes the games and talent from across the coasts.

Here is the full list of nominees for the Canadian Game Awards 2025.

Best Art Direction

• Dragon Age: The Veilguard (BioWare)
• Été (Impossible)
• Lil’ Guardsman (Hilltop Studios)
• 1000xResist (Sunset Visitor)
• Venture to the Vile (Cut to Bits)

Best Game Design

• Balatro (LocalThunk)
• Beastieball (Wishes Ultd)
• Dragon Age: The Veilguard (BioWare)
• Été (Impossible)
• The Outlast Trials (Red Barrels)

Best Score

• Dragon Age: The Veilguard (Hans Zimmer, Lorne Balfe)
• Été (Impossible)
• Lil’ Guardsman (Hilltop Studios)
• 1000xResist (Sunset Visitor)
• Spirit City: Lofi Sessions (Mooncube Games)

Best Narrative

• Dragon Age: The Veilguard (BioWare)
• Lil’ Guardsman (Hilltop Studios)
• 1000xResist (Sunset Visitor)
• Times & Galaxy (Copychaser Games)

Best Performance

• Nhi Do as Watcher (1000xResist)
• Humberly González  (Star Wars: Outlaws)
• Ben Burnes (Moving Houses)
• Matthew Mercer (Dragon Age: The Veilguard)

Best Audio Design

• Balatro (LocalThunk)
• Dragon Age: The Veilguard (BioWare)
• Été (Impossible)
• Lil’ Guardsman (Hilltop Studios)
• 1000xResist (Sunset Visitor)

Best Technology/Innovation

• Balatro (LocalThunk)
• Dragon Age: The Veilguard (BioWare)
• Homeworld 3 (Blackbird Interactive)
• Moving Houses (Gordon Little)
• Times & Galaxy (Copychaser Games)

Best Debut Indie Game

• Balatro (Localthunk/Playstack)
• Été (Impossible)
• 1000xResist (Sunset Visitor)
• Nightingale (Inflexion Games)
• Spiral (Folklore Games/SpaceJazz)

Best Debut Studio

• Folklore Games (Spiral)
• Impossible (Été)
• Inflexion Games (Nightingale)
• LocalThunk (Balatro)
• Sunset Visitor (1000xResist)

Best Studio

• BioWare (Dragon Age: The Veilguard)
• Folklore Games (Spiral)
• Lucid Dreams Studio (Biomorph)
• Red Barrels (The Outlast Trials)

Esports Player

• Arteezy
• Sarah_frags
• Scarlett
• Twistzz
• TenZ

Esports Organization

• Lazarus Esports
• Luminosity Gaming
• Shopify Rebellion
• Toronto Defiant
• Toronto Ultra

Esports Event

• Bell Esports Challenge
• Blast R6 Major Montreal 2024
• Call of Duty League: Stage 3 Major
• Electric Clash Tekken World Tour Challenger Event
• Toronto Ultra Major III Tournament 2024

Content Creator

• Aiekillu
• AshleyRoboto
• Ghost Cece
• NickEh30
• Pokimane

Studio of the Year

• Behaviour Interactive (Dead by Daylight)
• BioWare (Dragon Age: The Veilguard)
• Hilltop Studio (Lil’ Guardsman)
• Inflexion (Nightingale)
• LocalThunk (Balatro)

Game of the Year

• Balatro (LocalThunk)
• Biomorph (Lucid Dreams Studio)
• Dragon Age: The Veilguard (BioWare)
• Été (Impossible)
• Lil’ Guardsman (Hilltop Studios)
• 1000xResist (Sunset Visitor)

The Canadian Game Awards will be making general admission tickets available. However, availability and pricing will be announced at a later time. Participating partners will also be revealed closer to the in-person event.

Note: iPhone in Canada’s Steve Vegvari is an organizer for the Canadian Game Awards’ nomination and judging Committee. His role did not impact the selection of the nominees or the production of the live show.