KUALA LUMPUR: Annual award shows, from publications and big organisations like Geoff Keighley’s The Game Awards, have always brought about discussions and discord among the game industry and enthusiasts, no matter how trivial the talking points may be.
Recently, the voice cast of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 called for The Game Awards to add a motion capture category, citing the importance of the motion capture actors in delivering the animations for the voice roles. This, among many other critiques, is fair and worth looking into.
No matter what, there will never be enough categories for an awards show, no matter how much one puts into the programme. There will never be the “right” game that wins, whether it is voted by talented juries from across the world or by the masses who participated. There will never be one correct answer that placates every viewer.
However, there will always be room for improvement. The Game Awards has lasted pretty long, and that is a clear sign they’re doing many things right despite criticisms and controversies. Otherwise, the show would have ended years ago. Credit must be given to the team for persevering and doing their very best.
We at Kakuchopurei know that it takes a lot of manpower and determination to get a show like this going. After all, we produced 26 episodes of Main Game for Malaysia’s RTM TV2, and these take time to plan and create. We can empathise with creators, especially when we try our best to work with feedback to improve and strive further. Show business is never easy, especially in a critical field like video games. It is easy to criticise, but tough to build – and even tougher to maintain over time while still remaining relevant.
Short beats
Legendary Tekken producer Katsuhiro Harada has announced that he is leaving Bandai Namco at the end of 2025.
The big winner of The Game Awards 2025 is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 by Sandfall Interactive. The game won eight awards from its many nominations, including Game of the Year 2025.
Major announcements at The Game Awards 2025 include:
1. Highguard, a new team-based fantasy shooter title from ex-Apex Legends and Titanfall developers.
2. Divinity, an upcoming CRPG from Larian Studios, with a Malaysian branch contributing.
3. Gang of Dragon, a new action-adventure title from ex-Yakuza game series director Toshihiro Nagoshi, starring Ma Dong-seok.
4. Two Tomb Raider games from Crystal Dynamics: Tomb Raider: Catalyst (2027) and Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis (2026).
5. Mega Man: Dual Override, a new entry in Capcom’s long-running series, slated for 2027.
6. Diablo IV’s second expansion, Lord of Hatred, coming April 28, 2026, featuring two new classes including the Paladin.
7. Total War: Warhammer 40K, Creative Assembly’s latest strategy title.
8. Ace Combat 8, a new entry in Bandai Namco’s flight simulation series.
The Evolution Championship Series fighting game tournament has announced the line-up for EVO Japan 2026 and EVO 2026, which includes Street Fighter 6, Darkstalkers 3/Vampire Savior and newcomer Invincible VS.
The most-searched video game of 2025 on international website Pornhub is Genshin Impact, while the most-searched character is Tifa Lockhart from Final Fantasy VII.
Hit rhythm game Rift of the Necrodancer has released a new music pack featuring songs from Friday Night Funkin’, and a new free track from rhythm game Unbeatable.
R-Type Dimensions III has been announced for PC and consoles, adding a fresh instalment to the classic shoot-em-up series.
Indie platformer Demon Tides will be released on Feb 19, 2026 for PC, with a Nintendo Switch version to follow.
Unbeatable is a new 2D rhythm game from DCell and PlayStack, blending arcade rhythm and adventure elements with anime influences reminiscent of FLCL.
Bits and Bops is a collection of original rhythm mini-games for PC, influenced by Nintendo’s Rhythm Heaven series and featuring catchy music and hand-drawn animations.
Skate Story is an indie 3D skating game in which players ollie, kickflip and grind through the Underworld, battling demons and rescuing lost souls.
Terminator 2D: No Fate is a 2D pixel-art shooter based on the Terminator franchise, slated for PC and consoles. Players battle Cyberdyne and Skynet enemies, escape the T-1000 and lead the Resistance as John Connor.
Recommended viewing
A video game music history medley from musician FamilyJules, spanning Pong to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and showcasing the evolution of game music.
