The Game Awards 2021 is Scheduled for This December as a Live In-Person Event

The Game Awards is making its official return later this year. Geoff Keighley announced that the event will take place on December 9, 2021, hosted live and in-person from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California. As with past years, The Game Awards will also be streamed live via YouTube, Twitter, Twitch, and a host of other platforms.

Last year’s event was, unfortunately, held entirely virtually due to the effects of the COVID pandemic. However, the event still set a record 83 million live streams, up 84% compared to the previous year. While the event still hosted virtual live performances from the London Philharmonic and plenty of new game reveals, this year’s event marks the return of a “full scale” The Game Awards presentation. Furthermore, Lorne Balfe will also be coming back to conduct The Game Awards Orchestra for the show.

Though there will be an in-person audience, The Game Awards notes that it will be invite-only and feature health and safety protocols for coronavirus prevention. As with last year’s event, The Game Awards 2021 will include interactive extensions for streaming platforms as well as a co-streaming, and provide a free 4K Livestream option. Additional details about participating publishers, studios, and companies, as well as health and safety guidelines, will be announced at a later date.

Past years’ The Game Awards have featured plenty of surprise reveals, arguably more anticipated by most than the awards themselves. Last year’s event showcased new releases such as Returnal and the NieR Replicant remake, and PlayStation exclusives like The Last of Us II and Ghost of Tsushima went home with an impressive number of awards. Back in 2019, The Game Awards also debuted the new Xbox Series X|S, revealed the release date for Ghost of Tsushima, and awarded Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice with Game of the Year.

The Game Awards 2021 will be held on December 9, 2021. Further details about participating companies and planned announcements will come at a later date.