Tom Richardson
BBC Newsbeat

Judged by Bafta’s expert game design jury, this award celebrates games that truly captivate and engage players - and what a varied set of nominations it is!

Will Expedition 33’s battle system or Ghost of Yōtei’s blockbuster polish take the prize? Perhaps the pure imagination of the co-op adventure Split Fiction?

There’s also Hades II, inspired by Greek mythology, which has perfected its predecessor’s “one more go” hack-and-slash formula.

Blue Prince offers bottomless, interconnected mysteries, while Ball X Pit mixes twitchy action with base building.

The nominees are:

• Ball X Pit
• Blue Prince
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Ghost of Yōtei
• Hades II
• Split Fiction

Image source, Rebellion

Chris Kingsley, one of the founding members of Rebellion - the studio behind Atomfall - says: "Thirty-three years in the games industry we're still here.

"We could not be doing this without you guys."

He also thanks his "long suffering" family and the game's players, adding: "We will be nothing without you."

How did a forgotten nuclear disaster inspire a video game? Read more here.

Tom Richardson
BBC Newsbeat

Earlier tonight Bafta chief executive Jane Millichip was talking to us about the breadth of creativity in the UK games industry.

And the homegrown titles in the running tonight - from a re-imagining of a nuclear disaster and a philosophical sci-fi tale to a game where you literally blast mud off dirty buildings - do back up her point.

The nominees are:

• Atomfall
• Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector
• Mafia: The Old Country
• Monument Valley 3
• PowerWash Simulator 2
• Two Point Museum

Wright plays Chase, Paul's foul-mouthed mentor whose super-speed powers have made him age prematurely.

Set in an alternative Los Angeles, the episodic animated superhero game Dispatch is a choose-your-own adventure story.

The game stars Breaking Bad actor Aaron Paul and sold one million copies 10 days after its first episodes were released last October.

Tom Richardson
BBC Newsbeat

It's time for the award for performer in a supporting role.

The first acting award tonight is also the first two-way tussle involving stars of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Daredevil star Charlie Cox is up for his role as Gustave. He’s called for greater recognition for motion capture performers, so expect a shout-out for them if he wins.

His castmate Kirsty Rider, who plays Lune in the same game, is also in the running.

Jane Perry, nominated for indie horror Dead Take, previously won Bafta’s lead performer award for her role in 2021’s Returnal.

Could it be second time lucky?

Nominees for best performer in a supporting role:

• Alix Wilton Regan as Lea Florence Monad in Lies Of P: Overture
• Charlie Cox as Gustave in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Jane Perry as Lia Cain in Dead Take
• Jeffrey Wright as Chase in Dispatch
• Kirsty Rider as Lune in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Troy Baker as Higgs in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

Laura Cress
Technology reporter, reporting from the awards venue

The Best Evolving Game category recognises titles that keep growing after launch - not just with bug fixes, but with updates that keep players hooked.

Last year’s winner, the retro-style 2D roguelike Vampire Survivors by Poncle, is back in the running. Fans got a sneak peek at a demo of Poncle’s next game, Vampire Crawlers (one can never have too many vampires!), which is set to be released next week at the New Game Plus expo in London.

Also nominated is No Man’s Sky by Guildford-based studio Hello Games. The exploration and survival game, set in a procedurally generated galaxy, has won its fair share of praise since its launch in 2016.

Other nominees include the cooperative multiplayer game Helldivers 2 by Arrowhead Game Studios and the third person shooter Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 by Saber St Petersberg, both released in 2024.

Rounding off the pack are Fallout 76 from Bethesda and IO Interactive’s Hitman: World of Assassination.

The nominees are:

• Fallout 76
• Helldivers 2
• Hitman: World of Assassination
• No Man’s Sky
• Vampire Survivors
• Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2

Laura Cress
Technology reporter, reporting from the awards venue

Backstage, the Arc Raiders team say: "We saw the best of humanity in our games.

"When we made it we were the worst of humanity! We built a sandbox and our players brought their skills to make it something special."

Image source, Kojima Productions

The open world adventure game from Japanese game creator Hideo Kojima follows its main character Sam as he "tries to connect Australia to the Chiral Network" while striving to save humanity from extinction once again.

The game is a standalone sequel to Death Stranding, which was released in 2019. Kojima received the Bafta Fellowship award in 2020 - the highest honour the academy can bestow.

Tom Richardson
BBC Newsbeat

Artistic achievement award comes next.

This one’s for exceptional visual art.

Death Stranding and Ghost of Yōtei are repping the high-fidelity side, while Expedition 33 and South of Midnight,with its stop-motion style cutscenes, bring their own distinctive looks.

Hollow Knight: Silksong’s gorgeously realised world and its cast of "weird little guys" have constantly delighted players, and playing Dispatch felt like watching a top-tier animated series.

The nominees are:

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
• Dispatch
• Ghost of Yōtei
• Hollow Knight: Silksong
• South of Midnight

Laura Cress
Technology reporter, reporting from the awards venue

The co-op extraction game has sparked plenty of memes, despite its slightly controversial use of AI in voiceovers.

Image source, Embark Studios

A member of the team says: "This goes out to the incredible team back in Stockholm.

"It was clear that the most important stories are not the ones we write but the ones the players write for themselves.

"This one goes out to all the players who fill the rust belt with life every night."

Tom Richardson
BBC Newsbeat

It’s a battle of the couch against the keyboard in this category.

Arc Raiders, last year’s breakout multiplayer title, shows the ever-changing and unpredictable online side of the genre.

Elden Ring Nightreign is all about teaming up with your mates, wherever they are in the world, to take on its increasingly tough enemies.

Meanwhile, you’re more likely to find Lego Party! and Split Fiction - two very different games - sparking arguments (or encouraging co-operation) between players sitting side by side on a sofa.

The nominees are:

• Arc Raiders
• Dune: Awakening
• Elden Ring Nightreign
• Lego Party!
• Split Fiction
• PEAK

The winners of best game and best British game have been chosen by Bafta members - some 1,700 people who work in the games industry.

All the other awards have been selected by juries, which are small groups of Bafta members with direct experience of the category (like music or design).

The reason best game and best British game are chosen via an open vote is so that the votes represent all corners of the industry.

Jacob Phillips
Live reporter, reporting from the awards venue

Bafta Chairperson Sara Putt is speaking now.

She says the number of gaming Bafta members is growing, and that applications have been whittled down to 42 nominees representing the best in the industry.

We’ll bring you more on what’s happening at the ceremony, so stay with us.

Image source, Bafta

Hosting this year's Bafta Games Awards is YouTuber Elz the Witch, a familiar face to fans of the Sidemen Charity Match.

The content creator, who built a following on YouTube with gaming videos, told BBC Newsbeat she feels "tremendously proud" to represent women in the gaming space ahead of the Baftas.

"It's very nerve-wracking and a lot of pressure," she said, adding that she was "blown away" to be considered for the job.

Alongside presenting several Sidemen matches, Elz, who keeps her full name private, is also a regular voice on Kiss Xtra and Kerrang Radio.

As host of the awards, Elz did not reveal who she was backing to take the top prize, but said she's been "sinking in a lot of hours to some of the games nominated".

Tinshui Yeung
Live page editor

It's 19:00 BST (18:00 GMT) now, which means the Bafta Games Awards are kicking off. Stay with us as we bring you the results in real time.

Spoiler alert: The online streaming of the ceremony on YouTube will be running 15 minutes behind. So if you want to avoid spoilers and watch the stream, look away now.

Charlie Cox is nominated for his supporting role in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, but he’s probably best known for playing Marvel superhero Daredevil.

Cox says moving from the film industry to the gaming world has been "very eye opening".

"The game has obviously had a huge impact, it’s massively popular," he tells the BBC. "I go to conventions all over the world and meet fans mostly for Daredevil.

"Suddenly in the last six months I’ve been meeting loads of gaming fans dressed as my character and carrying baguettes everywhere. It’s opened my eyes to the enormity of the industry."

He adds that he’s also working on the second season of Irish gangster drama Kin and a third season of Daredevil: Born Again.

Laura Cress
Technology reporter, reporting from the red carpet

Nicholas Apostolides - who plays Leon S Kennedy in Resident Evil Requiem - is here with his partner Ashleigh Morghan.

So, what does Ashleigh think of all those memes about Leon?

“I love them, I think it's hilarious!”

Nick responds slyly, “I have no idea what you're talking about…”

Laura Cress
Technology reporter, reporting from the red carpet

Actor Troy Baker is up for two awards tonight - for his roles as Indiana Jones and also Higgs in Death Stranding 2.

Perhaps he is lining himself up to be the next James Bond in his incredibly dapper outfit!

He says tonight is a reminder of why people in the industry "do this" and as well as being a great opportunity to see everyone.

He thinks we could see another Clair Obscur sweep tonight and praises Sandfall for being an incredibly talented team.

But he adds any game which shipped "has already won" because of the immense competition that is out there. Smooth, 007!