Skip to main content

The Game Awards 2022: how to watch and what to expect

The Game Awards are finally here. Which 2022 title will take home the coveted Game of the Year title? Which deserving studios will be snubbed? And what surprise announcements await gamers who turn up to watch the show live?

Event founder and gaming show host extraordinaire Geoff Keighley has started teasing what we’ll get at the Game Awards this year outside of award announcements and there are some exciting games we expect to learn more about, like Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and Final Fantasy 16.

If you want to check out the show live, there are plenty of ways you can tune in. Here’s how to watch the Game Awards 2022 and what you can expect from the event.

Further reading

When is the Game Awards?

The Game Awards 2022 trophy art.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Game Awards 2022 will air live and free on Thursday, December 8 at 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT.

How to watch the Game Awards

The Game Awards 2022 will be streaming live on all major social media platforms through official event pages.

The Game Awards will also be officially broadcast on Steam, IGN, Gamespot, and Trovo. If you’re watching from a different country, visit the Game Awards page on how to watch the event for region-specific streaming options.

You can also watch the Game Awards 2022 at your local participating IMAX theater. Check to see if there’s a participating theater near you.

Of course, everyone in the gaming world will be watching and commenting on the Game Awards as well. It’s possible that your favorite streamer will be co-hosting the show, so check in with your favorite creators if you want their take as the awards are presented. If you want to co-stream the show on your own channel, you just need to fill out a few forms online.

What to expect

Cal Kestis with BD-1 droid on his shoulder.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Along with announcing awards for Game of the Year, top genre picks, esports events, and more, the Game Awards presentation will also feature teasers for a handful of upcoming games and TV shows. Here’s everything we expect we’ll see at the show this year:

What not to expect

NetherRealm chief creative officer Ed Boon has stated ahead of the show that the studio is not ready to announce its next game yet, so we won’t be getting a surprise Mortal Kombat or Injustice announcement.

Editors' Recommendations

Sam Hill
Sam Hill is a journalist and the gaming guides editor at Digital Trends. He's also written tech guides for Input and has…
The 2023 Game Awards delivered big game trailers and bigger double standards
Geoff Keighley giving a speech to kick off The Game Awards 2023.

After a year filled with generation-defining games and devastating layoffs, the gaming industry got a moment to celebrate its wins at The Game Awards 2023. The 10th annual event, produced by host Geoff Keighley, was another watercooler spectacle for creators and fans to discuss. This year’s eclectic show featured tons of game trailers, celebrity cameos, Muppets, and a hair metal musical performance complete with interpretive dancing. There was only one thing missing: the awards.

As has been increasingly the case as the show has grown in scale over the years, the actual awards took a back seat to pageantry. Most winners were hastily rattled off in short breaks between trailers, and the few that actually did get to accept awards didn’t get much time to do so. The show garnered a mixed reaction from viewers as a result, with many questioning if the show is an effective celebration of those who make games.

Read more
The best trailers from The Game Awards 2023: OD, Blade, Den of Wolves and more
Sophia Lillis screams in the first trailer for OD.

The Game Awards 2023 came and went Thursday night, bringing a plethora of surprising and entertaining game trailers with it. I'm still thinking about many of these trailers, particularly the ones that revealed brand-new games. Whether it's because they made captivating narrative or music choices, incorporated their flashy gameplay in a creative way, or just were a ton of fun to watch over and over again, the following seven trailers stand out as the cream of the crop in a show that overwhelmed viewers with tons of announcements. Whether you couldn't watch the show live or only care about watching the best trailers from it, we recommend you watch the following seven videos, listed in order of their appearance during The Game Awards 2023.
Pony Island 2: Panda Circus
Pony Island 2 Panda Circus World Premiere Trailer at The Game Awards 2023

If there were an award for the trippiest trailer of the night, it would've gone to Pony Island 2: Panda Circus. Daniel Mullins is known for mind-bending games like Inscryption and the original Pony Island, and this sequel to that 2016 indie classic looks like it will be his weirdest game yet. Pony Island 2: Panda Circus appears to blend first-person gameplay with that of retro point-and-click games. Still, something feels very off about the latter throughout the trailer, with visual glitches and interruptions of live-action footage or a character played by ProZD. We aren't quite sure how this all fits together just yet, but we're certainly intrigued.
Big Walk
Big Walk World Premiere Trailer at The Game Awards 2023

Read more
The Game Awards 2023: Here’s the complete list of winners
Key art for The Game Awards 2023.

This year was full of fantastic games and they were all celebrated at this year's Game Awards.

Between all of the new game premieres and release date announcements, the industry handed out several awards to some of our favorite games. Heading into the show, Larian Studios’ Baldur’s Gate 3 and Remedy Entertainment’s Alan Wake 2 had the most nominations — and they earned multiple awards each.

Read more