# When are The Game Awards?

*The show streams free from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, and the opening act starts at 7:30 p.m. Eastern, 4:30 p.m. Pacific.*

- Type: Explainer
- Section: Tech
- By: Tech Desk
- Published: 2026-11-12T00:52:00-05:00
- Updated: 2026-11-12T00:52:00-05:00
- URL: https://factsdesk.com/tech/when-are-the-game-awards/

## Key facts

- The Game Awards 2026 stream live on Thursday, December 10, 2026, from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Source: [The Game Awards](https://thegameawards.com/faq). Confirmed 2026-11-12T00:52:00-05:00. Cite: https://factsdesk.com/tech/when-are-the-game-awards/#the-game-awards-2026-stream-live-on-thursday-december-10
- The opening act starts at 7:30 p.m. Eastern, 4:30 p.m. Pacific, and the show is free to stream on all major streaming services. Source: [The Game Awards](https://thegameawards.com/faq). Confirmed 2026-11-12T00:52:00-05:00. Cite: https://factsdesk.com/tech/when-are-the-game-awards/#the-opening-act-starts-at-7-30-p-m-eastern-4-30-p-m-pacific
- Fan voting closes on Wednesday, December 9, at 6 p.m. Pacific, and it counts for 10 percent of the vote that decides the winners. Source: [The Game Awards](https://thegameawards.com/faq). Confirmed 2026-11-12T00:52:00-05:00. Cite: https://factsdesk.com/tech/when-are-the-game-awards/#fan-voting-closes-on-wednesday-december-9-at-6-p-m-pacific
- A game must be on sale by Friday, November 20, 2026, at 9 p.m. Pacific to be eligible for this year's awards. Source: [The Game Awards](https://thegameawards.com/faq). Confirmed 2026-11-12T00:52:00-05:00. Cite: https://factsdesk.com/tech/when-are-the-game-awards/#a-game-must-be-on-sale-by-friday-november-20-2026-at-9-p-m
- The Game Awards announced the December 10 date on August 10, 2026, and said limited public tickets would go on sale on October 29 at AXS. Source: [The Game Awards](https://thegameawards.com/news/tga-returns-december-10-2026). Confirmed 2026-11-12T00:52:00-05:00. Cite: https://factsdesk.com/tech/when-are-the-game-awards/#the-game-awards-announced-the-december-10-date-on-august-10

The Game Awards 2026 stream live on Thursday, December 10, 2026, from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, according to the show's [official FAQ](https://thegameawards.com/faq). The opening act starts at 7:30 p.m. Eastern, which is 4:30 p.m. Pacific, and the same page says the show is free to stream on all major streaming services.

## Key dates for The Game Awards 2026

Every date and time in this table is stated in the show's [FAQ and rules](https://thegameawards.com/faq).

| Event | Date | Time |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Eligibility cutoff for games | Friday, November 20, 2026 | 9 p.m. Pacific |
| Players' Voice cutoff | November 30, 2026 | Not stated |
| Fan voting closes | Wednesday, December 9, 2026 | 6 p.m. Pacific |
| Opening act starts | Thursday, December 10, 2026 | 7:30 p.m. Eastern |

The eligibility cutoff is the date by which a game must be commercially available to customers. The Players' Voice category has a later cutoff: its games must ship on or before November 30, 2026.

The show's [home page](https://thegameawards.com/) says the 2026 nominees are coming in mid-November and does not give a day.

## How to watch and attend

The show is available to stream for free across all major streaming services, the [FAQ](https://thegameawards.com/faq) says, and it says the show welcomes co-streaming and asks co-streamers to sign up. The home page links to the show's own channels on YouTube and Twitch.

The show can also be attended in person. The Game Awards said in its [date announcement](https://thegameawards.com/news/tga-returns-december-10-2026) on August 10, 2026, that limited public tickets would go on sale on October 29 at AXS. The FAQ says a limited number of public tickets are sold and directs readers to the Peacock Theater box office for details.

## How the winners are chosen

Winners are decided by a blended vote in which the voting jury counts for 90 percent and public fan voting counts for 10 percent, according to the [FAQ](https://thegameawards.com/faq). Fans vote on the show's website, and that voting closes on Wednesday, December 9, at 6 p.m. Pacific, the day before the show.

Nominees in most categories are chosen by an international jury of more than 100 media and influencer outlets, the same page says. Each outlet lists its top five choices in a category, and the five games that appear on the most ballots become the nominees. A tie can produce six or more nominees in a category.

## What happened at the last show

The 2025 show took place on December 11, 2025, also at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The Game Awards [said](https://thegameawards.com/news/the-game-awards-2025-breaks-record-171-million-livestreams) that show drew an estimated 171 million global livestreams of the full broadcast, up 11 percent from 154 million in 2024.

## Sources

1. [FAQ and Rules](https://thegameawards.com/faq), The Game Awards, 2026-11-12 (primary source)
2. [TGA Returns December 10, 2026](https://thegameawards.com/news/tga-returns-december-10-2026), The Game Awards, 2026-08-10 (primary source)
3. [The Game Awards 2025 Delivers 171 Million Livestreams](https://thegameawards.com/news/the-game-awards-2025-breaks-record-171-million-livestreams), The Game Awards, 2025-12-18 (primary source)
4. [The Game Awards, December 10, 2026](https://thegameawards.com/), The Game Awards, 2026-11-12 (primary source)