The 25thGame Developers Choice AwardsatGDC 2025has unveiled the recipients of this year's prestigious special awards. Sam Lake, iconic writer for games likeMax Payne, Alan Wake, Quantum Break,andControl, will receive this year's Lifetime Achievement Award. Lucas Pope, renowned mentor, designer, and developer who's worked at major game companies for over two decades, will be recognized with the Pioneer Award.The Game Developers Choice Awards has a proud legacy of shining the spotlight on figures who make gaming the most gripping and evocative method of storytelling, said Event Director Stephenie Hawkins. Were excited to recognize Sam Lake and Lucas Pope for their commitment to pushing the boundaries of the medium through transcendent narrative structures, complex moral questions and evocative gameplay.See the Honorees In-Person: Register for GDC 20252025 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient: Sam LakeLifetime Achievement Award honoree Sam Lake is a respected writer and director in the game industry, acting as a key creative force in dreaming up Remedys acclaimed games and stories in theAlan Wake/Controluniverse, along with other hits likeQuantum Breakand theMax Payneseries (the game's protagonistwas famously designed with his likeness in mind). Lake is renowned for his deep, layered storytelling and ability to meld together different mediums to create unique interactive experiences. Most recently, he was the co-director and lead writer ofAlan Wake 2, which won over 200 industry awardsincluding Best Game Direction and Best Narrative at The Game Awards, along with Best Visual Art at the 2024 Game Developers Choice Awards. Lake was also a BAFTA nominee for Narrative and Performer in a Supporting Role in Alan Wake 2. In 2023 and 2024, Lake was included in the Variety500 list of the most influential people shaping the global media industry and received The Develop:Star Award for Best Creative Lead and Gamesbeat Visionary Award. He also recently received the prestigious Andrew Yoon Legend Award at the New York Game Awards in January 2025.Previous recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award include last year's honoreeYoko Shimomura, famed game soundtrack composer, along with game designer John Romero, writer and director Amy Hennig, and Epic Games founder and CEO Tim Sweeney.2025 Pioneer Award Recipient: Lucas PopeLucas Pope, recipient of this year's Pioneer Award, is an independent game developer experimenting with the interactions of mechanics, narrative, and art. Starting with hobbyist development on the Mac Plus, he found his interests in music, engineering, art, and problem-solving perfectly reflected in the toil of creating games. Stumbling through 30 years of indie, serious, AAA, and mobile titles, he has tried to make things that others don't, exploring new genres and new ways of telling interesting stories. He is most well known as the creator of Papers, Please and Return of the Obra Dinn, bothawarded the Seumas McNally Grand Prize at theIndependent Games Festival(IGF) in 2014 and 2019, respectively, for their innovative approach to storytelling and immersive gameplay.The Pioneer Award is given to key individuals who elevate video games and the industry as a whole, including 2023's posthumous recipientMabel Addis, the first female video game designer. Other industry icons honored include Jordan Mechner, Gabe Newell, and Alexey Pajitnov.The Game Developers Choice Awards take place at the GDC Main Stage on Wednesday, March 19, and will be held immediately after the 2025 Independent Games Festival Awards. Recipients of the Lifetime Achievement and Pioneer Award were chosen by this years Game Developers Choice Editorial Committee, following suggestions from the International Choice Awards Network (ICAN).Both the GDCA and IGF ceremonies are available to attend for allGDC 2025 pass-holders. The GDCA and IGF award shows will be live-streamed onGDC Twitch.Don't Miss Your Chance: Register for GDC 2025!GDC returns this March 17-21, 2025, and registration is open! Check out ourPasses & Prices,and follow the#GDC2025hashtag onBlueskyandLinkedIn.Subscribe to the GDCnewsletterandRSSfeed.Get regular updates onGDC social mediaincluding Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn.GDC and Game Developer are sibling organizations under Informa.