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| Bafta Game Awards 2025: Hellblade 2 gets most nominations | Bafta Game Awards 2025: Hellblade 2 gets most nominations |
| (17 days later) | |
| Senua's Saga: Hellblade II has been praised for its depiction of the main character's psychosis | Senua's Saga: Hellblade II has been praised for its depiction of the main character's psychosis |
| Senua's Saga: Hellblade II has picked up the most nominations at this year's Bafta Games Awards. | Senua's Saga: Hellblade II has picked up the most nominations at this year's Bafta Games Awards. |
| The action-adventure game, developed by Cambridge-based studio Ninja Theory, is up for awards in 11 out of 14 categories at the annual ceremony. | The action-adventure game, developed by Cambridge-based studio Ninja Theory, is up for awards in 11 out of 14 categories at the annual ceremony. |
| However, it's not in the running for best game, unlike 3D platformer Astro Bot - up for eight awards - which clinched top prize at the US-based Game Awards in December. | |
| The Baftas, considered one of the most prestigious ceremonies in the games industry calendar, will be held in London on 8 April. | |
| The other contenders in the best game category are: | The other contenders in the best game category are: |
| Balatro - a poker-inspired card game | Balatro - a poker-inspired card game |
| Black Myth: Wukong - an action-adventure made in China and inspired by a popular myth | Black Myth: Wukong - an action-adventure made in China and inspired by a popular myth |
| Helldivers II - a multiplayer co-operative shooter | Helldivers II - a multiplayer co-operative shooter |
| The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom - the first game in Nintendo's popular series to star the princess it's named after | The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom - the first game in Nintendo's popular series to star the princess it's named after |
| Thank Goodness You're Here! - a wacky cartoon adventure game developed by two friends from Barnsley | Thank Goodness You're Here! - a wacky cartoon adventure game developed by two friends from Barnsley |
| Bafta hands out prizes each year in a range of categories, including acting, music and game design. | Bafta hands out prizes each year in a range of categories, including acting, music and game design. |
| Three of the six most-nominated games this year were made in the UK. | Three of the six most-nominated games this year were made in the UK. |
| Still Wakes the Deep, a horror game from Brighton-based studio The Chinese Room set on a Scottish oil rig, is up for eight awards, while Thank Goodness You're Here! is up for seven. | Still Wakes the Deep, a horror game from Brighton-based studio The Chinese Room set on a Scottish oil rig, is up for eight awards, while Thank Goodness You're Here! is up for seven. |
| Lego Horizon Adventures, based on the PlayStation series and largely developed by London-based Studio Gobo, is nominated in four categories. | Lego Horizon Adventures, based on the PlayStation series and largely developed by London-based Studio Gobo, is nominated in four categories. |
| Indie hits Animal Well and Balatro, each have four nominations, as does Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. | Indie hits Animal Well and Balatro, each have four nominations, as does Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. |
| Thank Goodness You're Here! is a bizarre comedy adventure heavily inspired by its creators' Yorkshire roots | Thank Goodness You're Here! is a bizarre comedy adventure heavily inspired by its creators' Yorkshire roots |
| Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is a sequel to Senua's Sacrifice - which picked up five awards at 2018's gaming Baftas. | Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is a sequel to Senua's Sacrifice - which picked up five awards at 2018's gaming Baftas. |
| Its 11 nominations might surprise some - the game was an impressive technical showcase but received positive if not outstanding reviews. | |
| However, like the first game, it was praised for its sensitive depiction of the main character's psychosis. | However, like the first game, it was praised for its sensitive depiction of the main character's psychosis. |
| Bafta Games committee chair Tara Saunders tells BBC Newsbeat it represents "a strong year for British-made games". | Bafta Games committee chair Tara Saunders tells BBC Newsbeat it represents "a strong year for British-made games". |
| She says the voting panel is made up of members across the world who take the awards "very seriously" and vote based on a range of features. | She says the voting panel is made up of members across the world who take the awards "very seriously" and vote based on a range of features. |
| "It's all about excellence," she says. | "It's all about excellence," she says. |
| "Excellence in the crafts and maybe some of those games have nailed all of those craft areas." | "Excellence in the crafts and maybe some of those games have nailed all of those craft areas." |
| Bafta CEO Jane Millichip agrees, and wants to embrace the fact they have a British game category. | Bafta CEO Jane Millichip agrees, and wants to embrace the fact they have a British game category. |
| "Our members are international and they're the people who choose," she says. | "Our members are international and they're the people who choose," she says. |
| Most-nominated games | Most-nominated games |
| Arranged by number of categories: | Arranged by number of categories: |
| Senua's Saga: 11 | Senua's Saga: 11 |
| Astro Bot and Still Wakes the Deep - eight | Astro Bot and Still Wakes the Deep - eight |
| Thank Goodness You're Here! - seven | Thank Goodness You're Here! - seven |
| Black Myth: Wukong - five | Black Myth: Wukong - five |
| Read more about the nominees: | Read more about the nominees: |
| 'Dead reyt': The love letter to Yorkshire making gamers cry laughing | 'Dead reyt': The love letter to Yorkshire making gamers cry laughing |
| Mind games: Hellblade returns to explore psychosis | Mind games: Hellblade returns to explore psychosis |
| Astro Bot: Could the old-school hit reshape PS5's future? | Astro Bot: Could the old-school hit reshape PS5's future? |
| The Bafta Games Awards are no stranger to the odd upset. | The Bafta Games Awards are no stranger to the odd upset. |
| In 2023, Vampire Survivors - made by a tiny British studio - beat Sony's God of War: Ragnarök to the top prize. | In 2023, Vampire Survivors - made by a tiny British studio - beat Sony's God of War: Ragnarök to the top prize. |
| This year's best game field has a similar mix of big-budget blockbusters and indie hits. | This year's best game field has a similar mix of big-budget blockbusters and indie hits. |
| "I love that Bafta can surprise, I love that it's not a given and we can get to that night and we don't know what's going to come out on top," Tara says. | "I love that Bafta can surprise, I love that it's not a given and we can get to that night and we don't know what's going to come out on top," Tara says. |
| "It's putting a spotlight on some really tiny games that might have slipped by." | "It's putting a spotlight on some really tiny games that might have slipped by." |
| Metaphor: Refantazio featured prominently in other awards lists but only picked up two nominations, with one for its narrative. | Metaphor: Refantazio featured prominently in other awards lists but only picked up two nominations, with one for its narrative. |
| And Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth was nominated in the narrative and music categories but ineligible for best game due to Bafta rules on remakes. | And Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth was nominated in the narrative and music categories but ineligible for best game due to Bafta rules on remakes. |
| Still Wakes the Deep - a horror game set on a Scottish oil rig - is up for eight awards | Still Wakes the Deep - a horror game set on a Scottish oil rig - is up for eight awards |
| Times remain tough for people working in the games industry worldwide, with mass layoffs, studio closures and cancelled projects continuing to make headlines. | Times remain tough for people working in the games industry worldwide, with mass layoffs, studio closures and cancelled projects continuing to make headlines. |
| Tara says awards like the Baftas are "a beacon of light in the dark times". | Tara says awards like the Baftas are "a beacon of light in the dark times". |
| "It's really important to pause and celebrate the teams and individuals that have crafted these standout games experiences," she says. | "It's really important to pause and celebrate the teams and individuals that have crafted these standout games experiences," she says. |
| And Jane, who also oversees Bafta's events across film, TV and other creative industries, says the gaming awards are a place for people to support each other. | And Jane, who also oversees Bafta's events across film, TV and other creative industries, says the gaming awards are a place for people to support each other. |
| "I've never seen a community cheer so much when they lose, it's a brilliant thing to behold," she says. | "I've never seen a community cheer so much when they lose, it's a brilliant thing to behold," she says. |
| "It's so wonderful to see the whole games community being so supportive of each other and there to celebrate the sector, not themselves. | "It's so wonderful to see the whole games community being so supportive of each other and there to celebrate the sector, not themselves. |
| "It's kind of devoid of ego and that's great." | "It's kind of devoid of ego and that's great." |
| You can find a full list of Bafta Games Awards nominations for 2025 here. | You can find a full list of Bafta Games Awards nominations for 2025 here. |
| Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here. | Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here. |