The Game Awards is back for a night of celebrating the best in video games, returning live as an in-person event on Dec. 9 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
Once again hosted by Geoff Keighley, the annual event will also be livestreamed for free over dozens of platforms, including Twitch and YouTube.
Keighley and his team haven’t shared much about the contents of the event, but the host did confirm that the show will be back to its usual scale after doing things almost entirely remotely in 2020 due to COVID-19. This includes the return of The Game Awards Orchestra performing live during the event once again. Additional information about guests, award categories, and more will be shared in the coming weeks.
“We are very excited to return to the Microsoft Theater for a special night to celebrate the past, present and future of video games,” Keighley told Deadline. “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.”
During last year’s remote show, The Game Awards brought in over 83 million views, peaking at 8.3 million concurrent viewers across all platforms and boasting an 83-percent growth from 2019. This was thanks largely in part to allowing co-streaming for creators on various livestreaming platforms, with more than 9,000 co-streams recorded just on Twitch, where the show peaked at 2.63 million viewers.
Overall, The Game Awards has increased its viewership by a minimum of 73 percent each year since Keighley started the show in 2014. And that trend will likely continue with it returning to its normal production format this year.
