The Last of Us Season 2 Clinches Best Adaptation at The Game Awards, Beating Minecraft Movie and Devil May Cry
In a surprise finish, The Last of Us Season 2 clinched Best Adaptation at The Game Awards 2025, toppling rivals including the Minecraft Movie and Devil May Cry. The upset has fans buzzing as the series extends its dominance beyond TV.
Well, that happened. HBO's The Last of Us Season 2 just walked off with Best Adaptation at The Game Awards 2025. If your first reaction was wait, over the Minecraft Movie and Devil May Cry?, same. It is a surprise win, especially after the months of noise around the show, but here we are.
Yes, it actually won
At The Game Awards 2025, The Last of Us Season 2 took Best Adaptation, beating out mainstream juggernaut The Minecraft Movie and the stylishly faithful Devil May Cry. Naughty Dog celebrated the moment right after the announcement on December 12, 2025:
'The Last of Us Season 2 just won Best Adaptation at #TheGameAwards! A huge congratulations to the whole cast and crew on this win.'
Why this felt unlikely going in
Season 1 was universally praised for staying close to the game and delivering knockout performances. Season 2 came in hot with controversy: casting complaints, arguments about the show losing the game's intensity, and pacing that sometimes felt like it was sprinting to catch up, then stumbling. Social platforms turned every creative choice into a referendum, and the show became one of the most picked-apart TV releases of the year.
The vote told a different story
For all the backlash, the audience clearly showed up. When it came time to vote, plenty of viewers still saw Season 2 as the most powerful and emotionally effective adaptation of 2025. The Minecraft Movie had massive global reach, and Devil May Cry delivered the kind of slick, action-forward fidelity fans wanted, but neither matched the storytelling punch The Last of Us Season 2 managed to land.
- Kaitlyn Dever (Abby), Joe Pantoliano (Eugene), and Catherine O'Hara (Gail) were standouts who kept the show grounded when it needed it most.
Where I land
I am not here to re-litigate every choice. Season 2 had rough edges, sure, but the thing never lost audience investment. If anything, the backlash proved how much people cared. The win backs that up: messy conversation, strong result.
How are you feeling about The Last of Us Season 2 taking Best Adaptation at The Game Awards 2025? Drop your take below.