Astro Bot walked away as the undisputed star of the 2025 BAFTA Game Awards, snagging the prestigious Best Game prize and sweeping a total of five awards at the glitzy ceremony held at Queen Elizabeth Hall in London.
Developed by Tokyo-based Team Asobi, the 3D platformer beat out major contenders including Balatro, Black Myth: Wukong, Helldivers 2, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, and Thank Goodness You’re Here. The win cements Astro Bot’s position not just as a technical feat but as a universal crowd-pleaser that hit all the right notes with players and critics alike.
Team Asobi president Nicolas Doucet credited the studio’s diverse team for the game’s global appeal. “We’re a team based in Japan, but we have over 12 nationalities. We really mix it up and get ideas from everyone,” he told Sky News. “We do a lot of jokes in the game, but the joke has a different meaning depending on where you are in the world. So it’s really, really nice to go around and ask everyone, ‘Is that joke fine in your country?’ And then together we come to a kind of universal playfulness.”
Not far behind Astro Bot was Still Wakes the Deep, which scooped up three wins including Best New Intellectual Property, Best Performer in a Leading Role for Alec Newman, and Best Performer in a Supporting Role for Karen Dunbar. The game, with its moody narrative and strong performances, proved to be a breakout success.
Helldivers 2 didn’t leave empty-handed either, taking home trophies for Best Multiplayer and Best Music. The game’s high-octane, team-based gameplay and pulse-pounding soundtrack earned praise across the board.
In a major moment for game music, Yoko Shimomura was awarded the 2025 BAFTA Fellowship. Shimomura, known for her work on Final Fantasy XV, Super Mario RPG, and the Kingdom Hearts franchise, was recognized for her decades of contributions to game soundtracks that have left a lasting emotional impact on players around the world.
“I think RPGs allow for more emotional depth compared to action games,” Shimomura said. “And I often compose music based on emotions, so it suits me very well. That said, even when I’m in charge of action games, I still try to imagine the various emotions and backgrounds of the characters.”
The 2025 BAFTA Game Awards highlighted the growing global reach and diversity of the gaming industry, with wins spread across genres and development teams from all over the world. But on this night, it was Astro Bot that took center stage and reminded everyone that heart, humor, and top-tier design still matter most in gaming’s highest honors.
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