The Game Awards 2024 Countdown: Start Time & Where to Watch

It's that time of year again: The Game Awards 2024 are nearly here! The biggest celebration of the games of 2024 is promising to not only highlight this year's favorites but to deliver plenty of brand-new game reveals as well. Here we'll cover The Game Awards 2024 start time and where to watch the show once it's live!

The Game Awards Start Time & Date

The Game Awards 2024 will be airing on December 12, 2024 at 12:30AM UTC. This works out to the following in other time zones:

• 4:30pm PST
• 5:30pm MST
• 6:30pm CST
• 7:30pm EST
• 12:30am GMT

Where to Watch The Game Awards 2024

So where can you watch the Game Awards 2024? This year, you'll have plenty of options available to you. In addition to the locations listed below, you'll also likely be able to view the awards from a number of gaming-focused websites. Wherever you decide to watch, the starting time and content will be the same.

• YouTube
• Twitch
• X
• Facebook Live
• Steam
• TikTok Live
• Instagram Live

How to Vote for the Game Awards 2024

When it comes to the Game Awards, the winners of each category are chosen based on the results of a preselected jury and community vote. The jury accounts for roughly 90% of the vote, while community votes make up the rest. That might not sound like much weight is given to community input, but every vote counts! Additionally, choosing the games you either think deserve the win or simply trying to predict the outcomes can be a great time! Head to the official website and cast your votes before the show begins!

The Game Awards 2024 Categories & Nominees

If you'd like to know what games are nominated and in what categories, we've gathered all of the information for you below! Additionally, we've provided the Game Awards website's description of what it means to be nominated in a designated category. Take a look at this year's stiff competition!

Game of the Year

"Recognizing a game that delivers the absolute best experience across all creative and technical fields."

• Astro Bot
• Balatro
• Black Myth: Wukong
• Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
• Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
• Metaphor: ReFantazio

Best Game Direction

"Awarded for outstanding creative vision and innovation in game direction and design."

• Astro Bot
• Balatro
• Black Myth: Wukong
• Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
• Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth
• Metaphor: ReFantazio

Best Narrative

"For outstanding storytelling and narrative development in a game."

• Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth
• Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
• Metaphor: ReFantazio
• Senua's Saga: Hellblade II
• Silent Hill 2

Best Art Direction

"For outstanding creative and/or technical achievement in artistic design and animation."

• Astro Bot
• Black Myth: Wukong
• Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
• Metaphor: ReFantazio
• Neva

Best Score and Music

"For outstanding music, inclusive of score, original song, and/or licensed soundtrack."

• Astro Bot
• Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth
• Metaphor: ReFantazio
• Silent Hill 2
• Stellar Blade

Best Audio Design

"Recognizing the best in-game audio and sound design."

• Astro Bot
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
• Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth
• Senua's Saga: Hellblade II
• Silent Hill 2

Best Performance

"Awarded to an individual for voice-over acting, motion, and/or performance capture."

• Briana White as Aerith Gainsborough — Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth
• Hannah Telle as Max Caulfield — Life is Strange: Double Exposure
• Humberly González as Kay Vess — Star Wars Outlaws
• Luke Roberts as James Sunderland — Silent Hill 2
• Melina Juergens as Senua — Senua's Saga: Hellblade II

Innovation in Accessibility

"Recognizing software and/or hardware that is pushing the medium forward by adding features, technology and content to help games be played and enjoyed by an even wider audience."

• Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
• Diablo IV
• Dragon Age: The Veilguard
• Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
• Star Wars Outlaws

Games for Impact

"For a thought-provoking game with a pro-social meaning or message."

• Closer the Distance
• Indika
• Neva
• Life is Strange: Double Exposure
• Senua's Saga: Hellblade II
• Tales of Kenzera: Zau

Best Ongoing

"Awarded to a game for outstanding development of ongoing content that evolves the player experience over time."

• Destiny 2
• Diablo IV
• Final Fantasy XIV
• Fortnite
• Helldivers 2

Best Community Support

"Recognizing a game for outstanding community support, transparency, and responsiveness, inclusive of social media activity and game updates/patches."

• Baldur's Gate 3
• Final Fantasy XIV
• Fortnite
• Helldivers 2
• No Man's Sky

Best Independent Game

"For outstanding creative and technical achievement in a game made outside the traditional publisher system."

• Animal Well
• Balatro
• Lorelei and the Laser Eyes
• Neva
• UFO 50

Best Debut Indie Game

"For the best debut game created by a new independent studio."

• Animal Well — Shared Memory/Bigmode
• Balatro — LocalThunk/Playstack
• Manor Lords — Slavic Magic/Hooded Horse
• Pacific Drive — Ironwood Studios/Kepler Interactive
• The Plucky Squire — All Possible Futures/Devolver

Best Mobile Game

"For the best game playable on a mobile device."

• AFK Journey
• Balatro
• Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket
• Wuthering Waves
• Zenless Zone Zero

Best VR/AR

"For the best game experience playable in virtual or augmented reality, irrespective of platform."

• Arizona Sunshine Remake
• Asgard's Wrath 2
• Batman: Arkham Shadow
• Metal: Hellsinger VR
• Metro Awakening

Best Action Game

"For the best game in the action genre focused primarily on combat."

• Black Myth: Wukong
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
• Helldivers 2
• Stellar Blade
• Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2

Best Action/Adventure

"For the best action/adventure game, combining combat with traversal and puzzle solving."

• Astro Bot
• Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
• Silent Hill 2
• Star Wars Outlaws
• The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

Best RPG

"For the best game designed with rich player character customization and progression, including massively multiplayer experiences."

• Dragon's Dogma 2
• Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
• Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth
• Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
• Metaphor: ReFantazio

Best Fighting

"For the best game designed primarily around head-to-head combat."

• Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero
• Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising
• Marvel VS Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics
• Multiversus
• Tekken 8

Best Family

"For the best game appropriate for family play, irrespective of genre or platform."

• Astro Bot
• Princess Peach: Showtime!
• Super Mario Party Jamboree
• The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
• The Plucky Squire

Best Sim/Strategy

"Best game focused on real-time or turn-based simulation or strategy gameplay, irrespective of platform."

• Age of Mythology: Retold
• Frostpunk 2
• Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess
• Manor Lords
• Unicorn Overlord

Best Sports/Racing

"For the best traditional and non-traditional sports and racing game."

• F1 24
• EA Sports FC 25
• NBA 2k25
• Top Spin 2k25
• WWE 2k24

Best Multiplayer

"For outstanding online multiplayer gameplay and design, including co-op and massively multiplayer experiences, irrespective of game genre or platform."

• Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
• Helldivers 2
• Super Mario Party Jamboree
• Tekken 8
• Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2

Best Adaptation

"Recognizing outstanding creative work that faithfully and authentically adapts a video game to another entertainment medium."

• Arcane
• Fallout
• Knuckles
• Like a Dragon: Yakuza
• Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft

Most Anticipated Game

"Recognizing an announced game that has demonstrably illustrated potential to push the gaming medium forward."

• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
• Ghost of Yōtei
• Grand Theft Auto VI
• Metroid Prime 4
• Monster Hunter Wilds

Content Creator of the Year

"For a streamer or content creator who has made an important and positive impact on the community in 2024."

• Caseoh
• Illojuan
• Techo Gamerz
• TypicalGamer
• Usada Pekora

Best Esports Game

"For the game that has delivered the best overall esports experience to players (inclusive of tournaments, community support, and content updates), irrespective of genre or platform."

• Counter-Strike 2
• Dota 2
• League of Legends
• Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
• Valorant

Best Esports Athlete

"The esports athlete judged to be the most outstanding for performance and conduct in 2024, irrespective of game."

• "33" Neta Shapira — DOTA 2
• "Aleksib" Aleksi Virolainen — Counter-Strike
• "Chovy" Jeong Ji-hoon — League of Legends
• "Faker" Lee Sang-hyeok — League of Legends
• "Zywoo" Mathieu Herbaut — Counter-Strike
• "ZmjjKK" Zheng Yongkang — Valorant

Best Esports Team

"Recognizing a specific esports team (not the full organization) judged the most outstanding for performance and conduct in 2024."

• Bilibili Gaming — League of Legends
• Gen.G — League of Legends
• Navi — Counter-Strike
• T1 — League of Legends
• Team Liquid — DOTA 2

Players' Voice

"Players' Voice is a 100% fan-voted award."

• Black Myth: Wukong
• Genshin Impact
• Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
• Wuthering Waves
• Zenless Zone Zero

That's everything! Curious about who won what in 2023? Don't worry, we've got you covered there too! Click on this link and check out our summary of the winners and nominees for The Game Awards 2023.