Today, the organizers of The Game Awards have unveiled their plans for this year’s event which is set to take place on December 10, 2020. The event will be streamed across more than 45 global video platforms. Last year’s Game Awards reached 50 million global viewers with a peak live concurrent audience of more than 7.7 million fans. As with most of the video game events that have taken place this year, because of COVID-19, The Game Awards will be a little different. The show will air live in 4K UHD from studio locations with no in-person audience in Los Angeles, Tokyo, and London. The three host cities will be connected digitally with live award presentations, musical performances, and spectacular world premiere game announcements.
“In 2020, video games have connected and comforted us more than ever, and that makes the 2020 edition of The Game Awards our most important show ever,” Geoff Keighley, creator/producer/host of The Game Awards said. “Our team is working hard to deliver an innovative and thoughtful program that celebrates excellence, previews the future, and amplifies important voices that are shaping the future of this medium.”
This year’s event sees the inclusion of a new award called Innovation in Accessibility. The new award recognizes software and/or hardware developers that are pushing the medium forward by adding features, technology and content to help games be played and enjoyed by an even wider audience. The Innovation in Accessibility award joins the Global Gaming Citizen program, the Games for Impact award, and other, to be announced initiatives, as ways to highlight those helping grow and diversify the types of people that create and consume video game entertainment.
The Game Festival, first launched last year as an all-digital consumer event makes its return to The Game Awards and offers fans limited-time playable demos on upcoming games from both major studios and independent developers. Also, The Game Awards Sale will be available across all major PC and console gaming platforms, giving fans access to special discounts on nominated games and other special offers.