SEPTEMBER 30, 2021 – It’s official: The Game Awards, the video game industry’s annual year-end celebration, will return as a live, in-person ceremony at the Microsoft Theater on Thursday, December 9, 2021. With a record-setting 83 million livestreams in 2020, up 84% year-over-year, The Game Awards will once again be distributed as a free global 4K UHD livestream to fans around the world across more than 40 global video, social and gaming platforms.
The Game Awards 2021 will bring together the biggest names in gaming and popular culture for a spectacular celebration of video game culture with awards, first-look world premieres and new game announcements, plus musical performances, including The Game Awards Orchestra live on stage at Microsoft Theater, conducted by Lorne Balfe.
“We are very excited to return to the Microsoft Theater for a special night to celebrate the past, present and future of video games,” said Geoff Keighley, creator, executive producer and host of The Game Awards. “Our goal is to bring the entire community together to celebrate the most powerful form of entertainment in the world, and recognize emerging voices that represent the future of the medium.”
Additional details on health and safety protocols for the invite-only, in-person event at Microsoft Theater will be shared in the coming weeks.
Once again, The Game Awards will deliver an immersive digital experience for fans around the world, including free playable game content and interactive extensions on leading streaming platforms, including full support for co-streaming.
The Game Awards is executive produced by Geoff Keighley and Kimmie Kim. LeRoy Bennett is creative director, and Richard Preuss is director.
About The Game Awards
Delivering over 83 million livestreams in 2020 and hailed as “the Oscars for gaming world” by the New York Times, The Game Awards is one of the largest live streamed events of the year on the Internet. The show brings together game creators, esports athletes, digital influencers, fans and Hollywood for a night of awards, exclusive game world premieres and musical performances that celebrate gaming as the most powerful, inspiring and immersive form of entertainment. The Awards airs live and free across more than 40 digital video networks including Twitch, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and globally digital networks in countries including China and India.
The Game Awards is guided by an advisory board that includes the executive leadership teams from Activision (Rob Kostich, President), AMD (Dr. Lisa Su, CEO), Electronic Arts (Laura Miele, Chief Studios Officer), Google (Phil Harrison, VP and GM, Stadia), Microsoft (Phil Spencer, EVP of Gaming), Nintendo of America (Doug Bowser, President), Riot Games (Marc Merrill, Co-Chairman and Co-Founder), Rockstar Games, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Ubisoft (Yves Guillemot, CEO), Valve, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (David Haddad, President) and Tencent (Steven Ma, Senior Vice President).