Steam Awards 2025 Opens Nominations For All Players Worldwide
A global celebration of gaming excellence returns with 11 categories ready for fans to champion their favorites
The Steam Awards 2025 is officially underway as Valve opens the nomination period for players around the world. Fans can now push their favorite games into the spotlight and help determine the titles that will headline one of PC gaming’s biggest annual celebrations. With eleven exciting categories on the slate, this year’s event continues the beloved tradition of letting the community choose the stars of the platform.
Steam has confirmed that nominations are open until December 1 at 10 AM Pacific Time, giving fans a limited window to cast their votes. Once the first phase is complete, selected titles will move on to the final ballot where players will have another chance to vote for the ultimate winners later in December.
- Game of the Year – Game of the Year
- VR Game of the Year – VR Game of the Year
- Labor of Love – Excellent Continuous Development Game
- Best Game on Steam Deck – เกมยอดเยี่ยมบน Steam Deck
- Better with Friends – The most fun game to play with friends
- Outstanding Visual Style – A game with outstanding visual work.
- Most Innovative Gameplay
- Best Game You Suck At – Great Game That Is Hard for You to Play
- Best Soundtrack – Best Soundtrack
- Outstanding Story-Rich Game
- Sit Back & Relax – The most relaxing game to play
Players who participate in the nomination phase will receive the 2025 Steam Awards Nominations Badge as a reward. This badge can be upgraded by nominating a game in every category, playing the games they nominate, or writing a new review or updating an older one for their chosen titles. It is a small but meaningful incentive for players who take the time to help shape this year’s awards.
After the nomination period closes, Steam will reopen voting on December 18 for the final round where players choose the winners from the curated list created by the global community. It is an annual moment where fans come together to shine a light on the games that resonated most with them throughout the year, from major releases to hidden favorites.
The Steam Awards remains one of the few major industry events entirely driven by player choice, and its growing scale each year shows how important community recognition has become. With nominations now open, gamers who want their beloved titles acknowledged in 2025 will want to vote as soon as possible before the deadline arrives.
