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The Game Awards 2025 nominations lit up X with shocks like Hollow Knight: Silksong's GOTY nod, while Kirby Air Riders zoomed to Switch 2 glory. Ubisoft's earnings crushed expectations amid layoffs, and indies like Dungeons & Kingdoms entered EA. Full recap as of 4:07 PM EST, November 24, 2025.
🏆 Game Awards 2025 Noms Drop: Silksong GOTY Snub? Nah—It's In!
Nominations revealed November 20. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 leads with 8 nods; Hades II close behind. Biggest surprise? Hollow Knight: Silksong finally nominated for GOTY after years of vaporware memes.
GOTY Nominees
| Game |
|---|
| Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 |
| Death Stranding 2: On the Beach |
| Donkey Kong Bananza |
| Hades II |
| Hollow Knight: Silksong |
| Kingdom Come: Deliverance II |
Other Highlights:
- Best VR/AR: Forefront, Deadpool VR, Demeo 2.0
- Best Nintendo: Donkey Kong Bananza, Kirby Air Riders
- Best Indie: Silksong, indie darlings dominate
X Frenzy: "Silksong GOTY? Team Cherry wins 2025!" trends; voting open till Dec 10.
Daggerless Pick – GOTY: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Turn-based combat + painterly art + emotional gut-punch story. This is the one to beat.
Daggerless Pick – VR: Forefront
Tactical gunplay that actually feels weighty in VR. Ready or Not meets Pavlov—finally.
🏎️ Kirby Air Riders Blasts Off on Switch 2 – "Smash on Wheels" Raves
HAL Laboratory's hoverboard racer launched November 20 exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2, selling 2M+ units Day 1. Successor to 2003's Air Ride, it packs story mode, 40+ riders, and multiplayer chaos.
- Reception: 94% positive, "Absolute cinema—crazy stories!" X loves Super Star callbacks.
- Sales Boost: Switch 2 hits 20M shipped; backwards compat shines.
📦 Key Releases: Indies & Ports Pack the Week
| Game | Date | Platforms | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dungeons & Kingdoms (EA) | Nov 17 | PC | RPG/kingdom builder hybrid—"Fresh take on genre." |
| SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide | Nov 18 | PC, Consoles | Open-world SpongeBob adventure; mixed reviews on jank. |
| Kirby Air Riders | Nov 20 | Switch 2 | Racer hit—multiplayer frenzy. |
| Demonschool | Nov 20 | PC | Tactical RPG; "Shin Megami Tensei vibes." |
| Rune Ark | Nov ~20 | PC | Exploration/puzzle debut. |
VR Note: Deadpool VR (prev week) still buzzing at 92% positive—no major drops this week.
💎 Xbox Game Pass Wave 2 Delivers Cozy & Cosmic
November adds:
- Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault (Day One)
- The Crew Motorfest
- Marvel Cosmic Invasion (Day One)
- Fortnite Crew, more.
Next Week (Nov 24-28): Terminator 2D: NO FATE, I'm on Observation Duty 8, Primal Fray.
📈 Business Buzz: Ubisoft Earnings Crush, But Layoffs Loom
- Ubisoft H1 FY26: Q2 net bookings €491M (+39% YoY), beat estimates. Assassin's Creed "exceeded expectations." Tencent investment closes soon; €100M savings via restructuring (1,500 jobs?).
- Shadow Drops: Silent Hill 2 hits Xbox—bloody welcome.
- Epic x Unity: New partnership announced—details thin.
⏰ What's Next? (Nov 24-30)
- Xbox Drops: Terminator 2D, A.I.L.A., more Game Pass.
- Steam Hits: Cross Blitz, Project Motor Racing.
- Watch: Game Awards voting ends soon; potential reveals.
Daggerless back next week. Expedition 33 or Silksong? Forefront your VR jam? Tag @Daggerless on X. Stay sharp, gamers.
— The Daggerless Crew
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