Hellblade 2 will get most nominations

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II has picked up probably the most nominations at this yr’s Bafta Video games Awards.

The action-adventure sport, developed by Cambridge-based studio Ninja Principle, is up for awards in 11 out of 14 classes on the annual ceremony.

It is within the operating for greatest sport alongside 3D platformer Astro Bot – up for eight awards – which clinched high prize on the US-based Recreation Awards in December.

The occasion, thought-about one of the prestigious within the video games business calendar, can be held in London on 8 April.

The opposite contenders in the most effective sport class are:

• Balatro – a poker-inspired card sport
• Black Fable: Wukong – an action-adventure made in China and impressed by a preferred delusion
• Helldivers II – a multiplayer co-operative shooter
• The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Knowledge – the primary sport in Nintendo’s widespread collection to star the princess it is named after
• Thank Goodness You are Right here! – a wacky cartoon journey sport developed by two associates from Barnsley

Bafta arms out prizes every year in a variety of classes, together with performing, music and sport design.

Three of the six most-nominated video games this yr had been made within the UK.

Nonetheless Wakes the Deep, from Scottish studio The Chinese language Room, is up for eight awards, whereas Thank Goodness You are Right here! is up for seven.

Lego: Horizon Adventures, based mostly on the PlayStation collection and largely developed by London-based Studio Gobo, is nominated in 4 classes.

Indie hits Animal Properly and Balatro, every have 4 nominations, as does Name of Responsibility: Black Ops 6.

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is a sequel to Senua’s Sacrifice – which picked up 5 awards at 2018’s gaming Baftas.

Its 11 nominations would possibly shock some – the sport was a formidable technical showcase and obtained constructive if not excellent opinions.

Nonetheless, like the primary sport, it was praised for its delicate depiction of the principle character’s psychosis.

Bafta Video games committee chair Tara Saunders tells RAYNAE Newsbeat it represents “a powerful yr for British-made video games”.

She says the voting panel is made up of members internationally who take the awards “very critically” and vote based mostly on a variety of options.

“It is all about excellence,” she says.

“Excellence within the crafts and perhaps a few of these video games have nailed all of these craft areas.”

Bafta CEO Jane Millichip agrees, and desires to embrace the actual fact they’ve a British sport class.

“Our members are worldwide and so they’re the individuals who select,” she says.

Organized by variety of classes:

• Senua’s Saga: 11
• Astro Bot and Nonetheless Wakes the Deep – eight
• Thank Goodness You are Right here! – seven
• Black Fable: Wukong – 5

Learn extra concerning the nominees:

The Bafta Video games Awards aren’t any stranger to the odd upset.

In 2023, Vampire Survivors – made by a tiny British studio – beat Sony’s God of Struggle: Ragnarök to the highest prize.

This yr’s greatest sport area has an analogous mixture of big-budget blockbusters and indie hits.

“I like that Bafta can shock, I like that it isn’t a given and we will get to that evening and we do not know what is going on to come back out on high,” Tara says.

“It is placing a highlight on some actually tiny video games which may have slipped by.”

Metaphor: Refantazio and Remaining Fantasy VII: Rebirth, two video games that featured prominently in nominations elsewhere, solely picked up three nominations between them.

Instances stay powerful for individuals working within the video games business worldwide, with mass layoffs, studio closures and cancelled tasks persevering with to make headlines.

Tara says awards just like the Baftas are “a beacon of sunshine at the hours of darkness occasions”.

“It is actually vital to pause and rejoice the groups and people which have crafted these standout video games experiences,” she says.

And Jane, who additionally oversees Bafta’s occasions throughout movie, TV and different artistic industries, says the gaming awards are a spot for individuals to assist one another.

“I’ve by no means seen a group cheer a lot after they lose, it is a good factor to behold,” she says.

“It is so fantastic to see the entire video games group being so supportive of one another and there to rejoice the sector, not themselves.

“It is type of devoid of ego and that is nice.”

You could find a full listing of Bafta Video games Awards nominations for 2025 right here.

Take heed to Newsbeat dwell at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays – or hear again right here.