The Game Awards is one of the most anticipated gaming events of the year, and 2024's show airs on Dec. 12, 2024. Hosted by Canadian video game journalist Geoff Keighley, the 2024 Game Awards marks its 10th anniversary, celebrating the best and most popular games of the year. As the fan voting window comes to a close, gamers are looking forward to seeing which of 2024's games are recognized as the cream of the crop. Though the show does feature awards for game developers, The Game Awards is always an exciting show for gamers with live musical performances, video game world premiere announcements, and a series of new game trailers.
Over its 10-year run, The Game Awards' popularity has skyrocketed as gamers tune in around the world to enjoy celebrity appearances, cheer on their favorite game developers, and get excited about what's next in gaming. The Game Awards will be in front of a live audience at the Peacock Theater, but fans can watch the 2024 show for free in the comfort of their homes through many livestream options. Here's what to know about how to watch the 2024 Game Awards, what time the show airs in different timezones, and what to expect to see during the livestream for gaming's biggest night as a new title joins the impressive slate of Game of the Year winners.
When to Watch the 2024 Game Awards
The Game Awards Has a 30-Minute Pre-Show Opening Act
On Dec. 12, 2024, viewers can watch a free livestream of The Game Awards starting at 4:30pm Pacific (7:30pm Eastern) for a 30-minute pre-show Opening Act before Geoff Keighley kicks off the main show. The Game Awards has a historical runtime of between 3-3.5 hours, even despite attempts to reduce its length over the years. The reason for this lengthy airtime is due to many sponsored segments, including several world premieres for upcoming video games that serve as the bulk of the show. The actual time for awards in The Game Awards is relatively short, and not every category has Game Awards winners approach the stage to make a speech.
Though Geoff Keighley has not confirmed an official runtime for the 2024 show, there are official start times for viewers to watch the livestream across the globe. Here is a list of notable time zones for viewers to know what time they can watch the 2024 Game Awards:
| Location | The Game Awards 2024 Airtime |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles | Dec. 12 at 4:30pm PT |
| Denver | Dec. 12 at 5:30pm MT |
| Chicago | Dec. 12 at 6:30pm CT |
| New York | Dec. 12 at 7:30pm ET |
| Brazil | Dec. 12 at 9:30pm BRT |
| London | Dec. 13 at 12:30am GMT |
| India | Dec. 13 at 6:00am IST |
| China | Dec. 13 at 8:30am CST |
| Tokyo | Dec. 13 at 9:30am JST |
| Sydney | Dec. 13 at 11:00am AEDT |
How to Watch the 2024 Game Awards Livestream
The Game Awards Is Available on Major Streaming Platforms and Partner Sites
The Game Awards is available to watch on major digital streaming platforms, like YouTube and Twitch, as well as games media partner sites on Thursday, Dec. 12. Additionally, the 2024 Game Awards is free to co-stream on any of the main social media platforms, so viewers can tune in and watch the show with their favorite streamers on YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, and TikTok. For Twitch viewers, there are special Nyx Warframe drops available when watching The Game Awards livestream with a linked account.
The Game Awards official channels are a solid way to watch the 2024 show. However, if viewers prefer to watch alongside their various gaming communities, then they have many possible options to watch The Game Awards. Here are all the official 2024 Game Awards livestreams where viewers can watch the show globally:
| Livestream Platform | Important Details |
|---|---|
| The Game Awards on YouTube | Live in 4K and also available via co-streaming partners |
| The Game Awards on Twitch | Live extension and also available via co-streaming partners |
| The Game Awards on X | Formerly Twitter |
| The Game Awards on Facebook Live | Also available via co-streaming partners |
| Steam Live Broadcast | Plus the Game Festival |
| IGN Homepage | Also available on IGN's Facebook, Twitter, Twitch, and YouTube channels |
| GameSpot Homepage | Also available on GameSpot's YouTube channel |
| Also available via co-streaming partners | |
| The Game Awards official channel | |
| Also available via co-streaming partners | |
| The Game Awards official channel | |
| New streaming partner addition |
With plenty of options to watch the 2024 Game Awards live, the show is poised to surpass its record viewership of 118 million global livestream views in 2023. Additionally, viewers located in China, India, South Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia, and Germany have more streaming platform options to choose from to watch 2024's award show and can view this list on The Game Awards official website.
What to Expect at the 2024 Game Awards
Geoff Keighley's Show Includes Game Announcements and Live Performances
Besides announcing all the winners of the 29 nomination categories at the 2024 Game Awards and crowning the Players' Voice game, viewers can expect much more than speeches and accolades. Every year, the Game Awards brings in a slew of popular celebrity guests, like 2023's Game of the Year award being presented by actor Timothée Chalamet. In 2024, a handful of star appearances have been announced, including actors Aaron Paul and Ella Purnell. As one of the most popular actors in the gaming space in 2024, Purnell has been involved with two television shows nominated for the 2024 Game Awards Best Adaptation: Arcane and Fallout.
Bethesda's Todd Howard, video game voice actor Troy Baker, Critical Role star Laura Bailey, Remedy Entertainment's Creative Director Sam Lake, and the ever-present Japanese game designer Hideo Kojima will join the 2024 Game Awards as presenters at the show. Additionally, The Muppets Show's hilarious duo, Statler and Waldorf, are set to present an award. Viewers can also expect high-profile artists, including live performances by notorious gamer and rapper Snoop Dogg and a special Arcane Season 2 musical event by Twenty One Pilots. The Music of Arcane segment at the 2024 Game Awards features the Grammy-Award-winning duo with artists d4vd and Royal & the Serpent.
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Most importantly, many gamers watch The Game Awards for some of the biggest gaming reveals for new and upcoming releases. The 2024 Game Awards has plenty of announcements throughout its 3.5-hour runtime, and fans of Hideo Kojima are hoping for an update on his new games currently in development. The Death Stranding creator revealed an intriguing teaser for a game called OD during 2023's Game Awards, and other titles like Death Stranding 2 and Physint are highly anticipated by fans. Very few announcements have been officially confirmed for 2024's Game Awards. However, the creator of 2021's Game of the Year It Takes Two, Josef Fares, teased that his next game will be revealed at the 2024 Game Awards.
Gamers are also hopeful for more trailers and announcements for many of the Most Anticipated Game nominees. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is a good possibility, given Kojima's appearance and tradition of taking a slot in The Game Awards to discuss his work. Other franchises with next entries nominated for 2024's Most Anticipated Game include Ghost of Yotei, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, Monster Hunter Wilds, and Grand Theft Auto 6, which broke records with its 90-second YouTube trailer released earlier in 2024.
Many viewers are also curious to see how many awards Shadow of the Erdtree, Elden Ring's DLC, will garner this year. Shadow of the Erdtree quickly became a controversial nomination as gamers debated whether remakes and DLCs should have their own categories for consideration, but the 2024 Game of the Year contender was highly acclaimed among fans.
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Finally, the show will cap off its celebration with a live performance by The Game Awards Orchestra to play a compilation of soundtracks from the six Game of the Year 2024 nominees: Astro Bot, Balatro, Black Myth: Wukong, Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, and Metaphor: Refantazio. Fans will also see the final results for the 100% fan-voted category, Players' Voice, which includes five finalists after three rounds of voting: Black Myth: Wukong, Genshin Impact, Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, Wuthering Waves, and Zenless Zone Zero. The 2024 Game Awards is set to be one of the gaming industry's most spectacular events, and gamers can enjoy all the entertainment for free to celebrate another great year for video games.
