When Are the Game Awards 2021 and How To Watch the Livestream

The annual Game Awards broadcast is just around the corner. Not only will this event crown a definitive game of the year (according to fan votes), but it will contain exciting teasers and previews for upcoming releases as well.

If you are not familiar with the ceremony, the Game Awards is kind of like a mix between the Oscars and the Superbowl. While a significant portion of its runtime is dedicated to recognizing the artistic achievements of the past 12 months (with accolades for best game design, music, narrative and performance), it's also a broadcast that many people tune into simply for the commercials.

Throughout the night, host Geoff Keighley will present never-before-seen trailers, interview developers about their upcoming projects, and maybe even announce a couple of new titles. For example, in 2014, the ceremony exclusively revealed the first-ever gameplay for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, while in 2018 a crossover between Persona 5 and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was announced.

For 2021 there are plenty of rumors already circulating. Pundits are speculating that we might finally get a proper look at Breath of the Wild 2, that a new Bioshock game could be announced, and that we might get a glimpse of an enigmatic Matrix project on PS5.

For his part, Keighley has cryptically teased that there will be a "world premiere" during the event that has been in the works for at least two and a half years. Nothing much beyond that has been confirmed, but Keighley has indicated that a lot of the reports out there are unfounded.

One game that will definitely be making an appearance, however, is The Lord of the Rings: Gollum. If you've never heard of this one, it's a stealth title that focuses on the titular ex-hobbit as he sneaks around the more hazardous regions of Middle Earth.

Alongside that reveal, we also know that Imagine Dragons and Sting (both of whom have contributed to the soundtrack for the League of Legends spin-off Arcane) will be performing at the event. Likewise, Shang Chi himself, Simu Liu, will be guest-presenting part of the show.

Of course, while the trailers, musical performances and celebrity cameos are all very intriguing, the main focus of the evening is to celebrate the past year in gaming. There are 30 categories in total, recognizing achievements in different technical fields, genres and even in the realm of eSports.

Titles with a lot of nominations include Resident Evil Village, Psychonauts 2 and Deathloop. To see the full list click here.

The 2021 Game Awards ceremony is being livestreamed on Thursday, December 9. In terms of the specific time, the event will kick off at 8 p.m. ET. For those in other time zones, this translates to 5 p.m. PST and 1 a.m. GMT.

Based on previous years, the broadcast will last anywhere between three and four hours.

Like both the 2021 E3 conference and Gamescom, this year's Game Awards will be held virtually. The entire stream will be available to enjoy (for free) from the comfort of your own home.

To watch along live, just head over to either the official Game Awards YouTube or Twitch channels. If you go to the former, you can set a reminder so that you will be alerted when the broadcast is about to start.

Should you happen to miss the livestream, a full recording of it will be available on both of the aforementioned channels for you to watch afterwards.