Date: Thursday, December 11, 2025
Venue: Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California
Host: Geoff Keighley
Nominee Announcement: Mid-November
Website: www.thegameawards.com
Streaming Service: TBA
Since 2014, The Game Awards has annually honored the video game industry’s outstanding achievements.
It recognizes the best games, developers, creators, and esports players of the year, with Game of the Year being the most prestigious award of the night.
Produced and hosted by Geoff Keighley, the respected game journalist created the awards show to showcase the best gaming titles of the year and invested $1 million of his own money to fund it. It has since become one of the most-watched, live-streamed events in the world.
After securing partnerships with multiple international streaming services, gaming fans can now watch the show online, and Keighley will present the 12th ceremony of his career on December 11, 2025, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
The much-loved event promises a fun night of awards, musical performances, new trailers, exciting announcements, and world premieres of upcoming titles.
The Game Awards prides itself on its partnerships with streaming services and has rejected offers for TV broadcasts in the past.
While the 2026 streaming partner hasn’t been officially announced, the event is likely to be broadcast on The Game Awards’ official YouTube channel.
The Voting Process
The Game Awards nominees and winners are determined by a jury and public voting to balance industry knowledge with general opinion.
The vote is determined by a 90% jury and a 10% public vote. The jury is made up of over 100 international media and influencer outlets that regularly critically evaluate the latest video games. The jury determines the nominees and winners each year.
Once the nominees have been announced, the public can cast a vote in each category to determine the winner.
The Award Categories
The Game Awards 2026 will present the following awards at the ceremony this December.
- Game of the Year
- Best Independent Game
- Best Mobile Game
- Best Narrative
- Best Score and Music
- Best Performance
- Games for Impact
- Best Action/Adventure Game
- Best Role-Playing Game
- Best Fighting Game
- Best Family Game
- Best Sports/Racing Game
- Best Multiplayer
- Most Anticipated Game
- Best Art Direction
- Best Game Direction
- Best VR/AR Game
- Best Action Game
- Best Sim/Strategy Game
- Best Audio Design
- Best Ongoing Game
- Best Debut Indie Game
- Best Community Support
- Players’ Voice
- Innovation in Accessibility
- Best Adaptation
In addition to the above awards that celebrate various gaming genres, skills, and formats, The Game Awards 2026 will recognize the esports field with the following awards:
- Best Esports Athlete
- Best Esports Team
- Best Esports Game
- Content Creator of the Year
The Non-Competitive Awards
The Game Awards may bestow various non-competitive awards at the upcoming ceremony.
Game Changer
The Game Changer Award is presented to an individual who has had a positive impact on the gaming community or industry.
Introduced in 2024, it is typically given to someone who has displayed exceptional leadership, support, or advocacy during a challenging time for the gaming industry.
For instance, Amir Satvat accepted the honor in 2024 after helping gaming professionals secure new jobs following mass layoffs.
Global Gaming Citizens
The Global Gaming Citizens award is presented to an individual who uses video games to have a positive impact on a community. The accolade highlights the positive effect gaming can have on society.