To almost no one's surprise, Sandfall Interactives Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 swept The Game Awards this year with a whopping 9 awards, setting a new record for the most awards won by a single title in the show's history. While the Game of the Year win was expected, among its 8 other awards was Best Performance, which ultimately went to Jennifer English for her role as Maelle. This is also her first Game Awards win, and she was nominated along with two of her Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 colleagues no less.
While this may have been English's first win at The Game Awards, she has risen to prominence in recent years for her roles in both Fire Ring and Baldur's Gate 3 also. And now that she won Best Performance for her role in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33is likely to see her career soar even further, especially as her name becomes increasingly associated with critically acclaimed, award-winning plays rather than just outstanding individual performances. In fact, her upcoming role as Tide of annihilationThe protagonist may be next in line.
Jennifer English has now appeared in three Game of the Year winners
More or less, Jennifer English is starting to look like something of a lucky charm in the industry, as she has now been involved in three Game of the Year winners in the last few years. While one of those roles wasn't as prominent as the other two, her voice is apparently one that's hard to ignore, as her recent performances (listed below) have brought her closer to center stage.
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Ring of Fire (2022)
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Baldur's Gate 3 (2023)
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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (2025)
Jennifer English played the role of Latenna in Ring of Fire
Winner of Game of the Year 2022 Fire Ring saw her fill the role of Latenna, an NPC tied to a memorable side quest rather than the main story. Still, Latenna's story has left an impression on players for its emotional side, especially her bond with her wolf companion Lobo and her goal to help her people. Latenna is also memorable for what her questline unlocks, as it gives players access to the Consecrated Snowfield and Miquella's Haligtree, two optional areas of Fire Ring which is home to some of its toughest content. Even so, Latenna is not what English is primarily known for.
Jennifer English's role as Shadowheart in Baldur's Gate 3 brought her increased attention
It wasn't until English played the role of Shadowheart in 2023's Game of the Year winner, Baldur's Gate 3that she began to draw wider attention from the industry and fans, and it is widely seen as a significant step up in visibility for her career. It certainly helps that Shadowheart is one of Baldur's Gate 3s most popular companion, especially as a romantic option. That kind of positive association naturally led to English becoming one of the more recognized industry talents in recent memory, to the point where she was even recognized as a BAFTA Breakthrough UK Talent in 2024, in part due to her work as Baldur's Gate 3s Shadowheart.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Put Jennifer English Front and Center
And then came Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 in 2025, which not only went on to win Game of the Year but also brought English to the fore as the game's protagonist. This marked the actress' third time playing a role in a Game of the Year winner, and it happened to be her first leading role on top of that. Her performance as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's Maelle quickly became one of the most talked about parts of the game, often cited as a major reason why its story is so emotional and memorable. Now, it seems English's acting success is far from over, as she'll star in yet another lead role in Eclipse Glow Games' action-adventure game Tide of annihilation.
Tides of Annihilation is Jennifer English's next big game
Tide of annihilation is an upcoming action-adventure game by Eclipse Glow Games that actually doesn't look too far off in art style from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Its real-time action combat helps set it apart from the turn-based RPG, but another similarity the two games share is Jennifer English's role in the cast. Just like she played the main character in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33English plays the role of Tide of annihilationmain character Gwendolyn. The game's story follows Gwendolyn's journey as the lone survivor of a catastrophic otherworldly invasion that shattered London, with her goals as saving her sister, restoring the world, and confronting the demigods of Avalon.
Every role Jennifer English has played
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Leya, Additional Voices – Divinity: Original Sin 2 (2017)
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Willa – Augmented Empire (2017)
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Latin – Ring of Fire (2022 GOTY)
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happiness – Harmony: The Fall of Reverie (2022)
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Shadowheart – Baldur's Gate 3 (2023 GOTY)
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Charlotte – Wuthering Waves (2024)
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Maelle – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (2025 GOTY)
Considering how three of her biggest games have been Game of the Year winners, it feels like Tide of annihilation now has a lucky charm in his pocket with the English at the helm. Whether or not that streak continues is impossible to say, but it does Tide of annihilation in a different light than it would have had otherwise. The game now carries a familiar thread that connects it to several of the most award-winning releases of recent years, where English once again steps into a leading role. At least her latest run does Tide of annihilation harder to dismiss, not because it is necessarily expected to be repeated Clair Obscur: Expedition 33s level of acclaim, but because it comes with an artist in tow whose career trajectory continues to intersect with award-winning games.
- Released
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April 24, 2025
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer
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Sandfall Interactive
- Publisher
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Kepler Interactive
