The Game Awards to Return Dec. 6

By Stefanie Fogel

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – The Game Awards is officially airing this year on Thursday, Dec. 6 at 5:30 p.m. Pacific from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, the organization announced Wednesday.

“Our team is deep into planning the 2018 show, which will be our biggest production yet,” said producer Geoff Keighley, who worked on the show’s predecessor, the Spike Video Game Awards, for over 10 years. “We’re taking all the elements that worked last year and adding even more to the experience. I can’t wait to share more later this year!”

began in 2014 as a way to honor the best video games, esports, and figures in the industry. It also showcases new trailers, sneak peeks, and reveals of upcoming titles. It’s suffered some growing pains over the last four years — fans have complained about its overuse of advertising and sponsored content — but its viewership has grown along with it. The 2017 Game Awards saw a more than 200% increase in live-streams over the previous year, it announced in December. There were an estimated 11.5 million streams during the event.

At the time, Keighley attributed the show’s growth to its increased interactivity. Fans who tuned in via Steam and Twitch were eligible for random giveaways, for example. Twitch viewers could also vote on who they thought should win the various awards.

Tickets for the Game Awards 2018 go on sale Friday, June 8 at 10 a.m. PT at AXS.com . Fans can also watch the live-stream for free across all gaming, social media, and digital platforms. More details about the show will be released later this year.