The Game Awards 2026 Announced for December 10 at Peacock Theater
Geoff Keighley sets December 10, 2026, as the date for gaming's biggest night. With GTA 6 releasing November 19, expectations are high for the most competitive Game of the Year race yet.
Date: Wednesday, December 10, 2026
Venue: Peacock Theater, Los Angeles
Host: Geoff Keighley
Announcement: @geoffkeighley on X
Early Date Confirmation for Gaming's Biggest Night
Geoff Keighley has confirmed Wednesday, December 10, 2026, as the date for The Game Awards 2026, securing the show's spot at Peacock Theater in Los Angeles a full nine months in advance. The early announcement gives fans and the gaming industry plenty of time to prepare for what Keighley has consistently referred to as "gaming's biggest night."
The announcement arrives less than two months after The Game Awards 2025, which took place on December 12, 2025, and brought major reveals including Divinity, a first look at Leon S. Kennedy in Resident Evil Requiem, two Tomb Raider games, footage from The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and a final reveal of Highguard that sent the gaming community into a frenzy.
GTA 6 and the Most Competitive GOTY Race Yet
Despite being just one month into 2026, gaming fans already have Grand Theft Auto VI on their minds as a frontrunner for Game of the Year. Rockstar Games has a history of dominating awards shows – Red Dead Redemption 2 took home the most awards at The Game Awards 2018 – making GTA 6 an immediate favorite.
However, the competition is expected to be fierce. Highly anticipated titles like Resident Evil Requiem, Saros, Fable, and Control Resonant are all positioned to compete for major categories including Game of the Year, Best Narrative, Best Game Direction, and Best Performance.
There's one critical timing consideration: GTA 6 has a release date of November 19, 2026. The Game Awards typically has a cutoff date a few weeks before the show – for 2025, it was November 21 at 9 p.m. PT. If the 2026 cutoff follows a similar pattern, GTA 6 should qualify, but any potential delay could push it out of eligibility.
Record Viewership Expected
The Game Awards has consistently grown its audience year over year. The Game Awards 2025 drew massive viewership across multiple streaming platforms including Twitch, YouTube, and TikTok, with peak concurrent viewership reaching record numbers as fans tuned in for world premieres and award announcements.
With the potential for GTA 6 to compete for GOTY and the promise of major game announcements and reveals, The Game Awards 2026 is positioned to break viewership records once again. The show has become essential viewing for the gaming community, combining awards recognition with exclusive world premiere trailers and announcements.
🎮 Save The Date 🎮
Wednesday December 10, 2026
Peacock Theater, Los Angeles
Streaming live everywhere
— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) February 2, 2026
What to Expect from TGA 2026
- • Game of the Year
- • Best Game Direction
- • Best Narrative
- • Best Performance
- • Best Art Direction
- • Best Score and Music
- • Exclusive game reveals
- • New trailers
- • Release date announcements
- • Gameplay demonstrations
- • Surprise announcements
FAQs
The Game Awards 2026 will take place on Wednesday, December 10, 2026, at Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
With a November 19, 2026 release date, GTA 6 should be eligible if it releases on time and the eligibility cutoff follows previous years' patterns (typically late November). Any delay could impact eligibility.
The Game Awards streams live on multiple platforms including Twitch, YouTube, TikTok, and other streaming services. More details on viewing options will be announced closer to the event.
Early frontrunners include Grand Theft Auto VI, Resident Evil Requiem, Saros, Fable, and Control Resonant. However, many of 2026's best games may not have been announced yet as we're still early in the year.