Today, Geoff Keighley and the organizers behind The Game Awards revealed that the event will be making its return in December as a live, in-person event on Thursday, December 9, 2021. The Game Awards 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.

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⁰Thursday, December 9

THE GAME AWARDS⁰

Live In-Person from Microsoft Theater
Los Angeles
And Streaming Live Everywhere

A Global Celebration of Video Game Culture#TheGameAwards pic.twitter.com/lsu51qAsdu

— The Game Awards (@thegameawards) September 30, 2021

The Game Awards have gotten bigger and bigger each year since its inception. In 2017, viewership reached 11.5 million, an increase of 202%. The viewership more than doubled in 2018 with 26.2 million viewers. 2019 saw viewership increase 73% with 45.2 million viewers. Last year set a new global record with an 84% increase in viewership from 2019 with more than 83 million livestreams. The Game Awards 2020 was also a little different due to the effects of COVID-19 as the show was connected digitally from Los Angeles, Tokyo, and London with live award presentations, musical performances, and world premiere game announcements. As The Game Awards returns to an invite-only, in-person event, additional details on health and safety protocols 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,” 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.”

As it has done in the past, The Game Awards will be a immersive, digital experience for fans around the world, including free playable game content, interactive extensions on leading platforms, including full support for co-streaming. The event will be distributed as a free, global 4K UHD livestream to fans around the world across more than 40 global video, social, and gaming platforms.