The Game Awards provides insight into critical consensus for PC and console games, but the real story often lies in how the market responds. Since the 2025 nominations were announced on November 17, sales trends for the nominees have revealed notable differences, shaped by pricing strategies, subscription services, and platform-specific performance.
Expedition 33 Takes the Lead Across Platforms
Among the nominees, Expedition 33 stands out with the highest sales across Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation. Estimates indicate the game sold nearly 400,000 copies in the weeks following its nomination, outpacing Hollow Knight: Silksong and Hades 2, despite its higher launch price. Expedition 33’s performance has been fueled by its multiple Game Awards nominations and its status as the only new intellectual property among the top contenders. Media coverage and broader industry discussion have amplified interest, contributing to the strong post-nomination response.
How Pricing Influenced Post-Nomination Sales
Pricing has played a key role in driving sales for the nominees. Expedition 33 initially received a discount from $49.99 to $39.99 at the end of October, pushing daily sales to 19,000 copies on November 2. A smaller adjustment to $47.99 coincided with the start of the Game Awards hype, resulting in another notable spike in sales, with 20,000 copies sold on November 22. This suggests that even minor discounts, when paired with nomination publicity, can significantly influence purchases.
Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 also leveraged discounts effectively, particularly on PS5. The game’s price dropped from $70 to $41.99 between November 21 and December 2, tripling daily sales from 1,000 to 3,200 units. During this period, weekly PS5 sales exceeded those on Steam, demonstrating how strategic pricing can convert interest into immediate purchases outside a game’s primary platform.
Game Pass and Subscription Impact
The presence of two nominees, Expedition 33 and Silksong, on Xbox Game Pass adds complexity to the sales picture. Since nominations, Expedition 33 gained 107,000 new Game Pass players, while Silksong added 52,000. Despite this, traditional sales still account for the majority of copies sold, with 63% of Expedition 33 sales coming from Steam, 34% from PS5, and only 3% from Xbox.
This trend highlights a key challenge for developers: subscription services can drive discoverability and player engagement but often cannibalize full-price sales. For example, every copy of Expedition 33 sold on Xbox corresponded with 21 copies sold on Steam and 11 on PS5, showing that revenue from traditional purchases remains more significant than Game Pass subscriptions.
Post-Nomination Sales Trends and Industry Implications
The sales patterns of GOTY nominees illustrate how nominations, media coverage, pricing, and subscription platforms interact. Expedition 33’s strong performance reflects the combination of critical recognition and strategic marketing, while Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 and other established titles benefited from discounting and loyal fan bases. Game Pass remains a double-edged sword: it boosts visibility but can reduce full-price revenue, influencing how developers approach future releases.
Future analysis will examine Steam performance trends for the other nominees and forecast how Expedition 33’s likely win could further impact sales.
Source: Alinea Analytics
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Which GOTY nominee sold the most after the 2025 nominations?
Expedition 33 led sales across Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation, with nearly 400,000 copies sold since its nomination.
How did pricing affect sales of Expedition 33 and KCD2?
Expedition 33 saw boosts from small discounts of 4–20%, while Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 used a 40% discount on PS5 to triple daily sales. Both benefited from timing these price changes around the Game Awards hype.
Did Game Pass subscriptions impact sales?
Yes. Expedition 33 gained 107,000 Game Pass players post-nomination, and Silksong added 52,000, but most revenue still came from traditional purchases on Steam and PS5, showing some cannibalization of full-price sales.
Why did Expedition 33 outperform other nominees?
As a new IP with multiple nominations, Expedition 33 gained significant media attention and mainstream coverage. Combined with minor price adjustments and marketing, this drove higher sales than other GOTY nominees.
What is the takeaway for developers?
Critical acclaim and awards recognition can drive immediate sales, but pricing strategy and subscription service placement remain crucial. Developers must balance discoverability through services like Game Pass with revenue from full-price sales.
