The Game Awards 2026: A Countdown to the Biggest Night in Gaming

Why This Year Is Different

The Game Awards 2026 is set for Thursday, 10 December 2026, and one game has the whole industry talking: GTA 6. It launches on 19 November, and IGN, Eurogamer and others have confirmed it's eligible for this year's awards by a single day. Games released after the November cutoff have to wait for next year's show, so Rockstar got in just in time.

That sets up the big question. Last year, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 set the record for the most wins at the show. Can a game that's been out for only three weeks beat it? Voters will have to play fast.

What We Know So Far

• Date: Thursday, 10 December 2026
• Venue: the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, the show's home since 2015
• Host and producer: Geoff Keighley
• How to watch: free, streamed online on all the big platforms. Keighley has famously turned down TV deals. Seats in the theatre are a different story: tickets are limited.

Nominees are usually announced in November. We'll add them to our countdown page as soon as they're out.

How the Winners Are Picked

A jury of more than a hundred games media outlets votes on the nominees. In most categories, the jury's vote counts for 90% and the fan vote for 10%. An advisory committee with representatives from companies such as Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony chooses the outlets on the jury. Keighley and the committee don't vote.

A Quick History

Keighley spent more than ten years working on the Spike Video Game Awards before launching The Game Awards in 2014. The first show was at the AXIS in Las Vegas, and every show since has been at the Peacock Theater in LA.

The show is loved for its world premieres. Half the audience watches for the trailers, not the trophies. It's also been criticised over the years for how much advertising it includes and how quickly award winners get rushed off stage. The famous "wrap it up" music has its own fan club, and its own hate club.

Surviving the Wait

1. Play GTA 6 like it's homework. It's out on 19 November, so you'll have three weeks to form an opinion loud enough for the internet.
2. Make a bingo card: "surprise sequel", "remaster nobody asked for", "Hideo Kojima appears", "a speech gets cut off". Fill it as the night goes on.
3. Book the next day off. The show runs late in Europe, and you'll spend the morning rewatching trailers anyway.
4. Vote. The fan vote really does count, even if it's only 10%.

FAQ

When is The Game Awards 2026?

Thursday, 10 December 2026.

Is GTA 6 eligible?

Yes. It made the eligibility cutoff by a single day.

Can I watch it for free?

Yes. It streams free online. Seats at the venue are limited.

How are the winners chosen?

Mostly by a jury of games media outlets (90%), plus a fan vote (10%).

Where is it held?

The Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

Follow the live countdown to The Game Awards 2026 on Byte of Humor, and check back: we update it the moment anything changes.