Update: The live blog for The Game Awards 2021 has been updated. Be sure to watch when the winners are announced.

It's almost time for The Game Awards 2021, which celebrates the best video games of the past 12 months, and even though 2021 has become known as the year of delays, there are still plenty of quality titles vying for a little black history this year.

Of course, the Game Awards are not only a look back at the past year in the gaming world, but also a glimpse into the future. There will be new trailers for upcoming game releases, as well as exclusive looks at new games. It's a fitting end to another great year for video games.

Organizer Geoff Keighley has already promised that The Game Awards 2021 will showcase up to 50 games, some of which will be completely new.

The Game Awards 2021 will take place on Thursday, December 9 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. ET. For those in the UK, this means a very late night, as The Game Awards 2021 will begin at 1:00 a.m. Japan time on Friday, December 10. The show will run for a total of approximately three hours.

For the first year, The Game Awards has eschewed broadcasts on traditional television networks in favor of online streaming. Not surprisingly, this approach will remain the same in 2021.

This year's Game Awards will be streamed live on nearly all of the expected video hosting platforms; YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, Facebook, and others will host streams of this spectacular awards show.

For those who enjoy a slightly different spectator experience than the traditional game awards, the show will also be streamed live within Axial Tilt. This is the Game Awards' first Metaverse experience and is billed as "an interactive world that serves as a hub for shows and events. Viewers will be able to watch the show live and play to win exclusive prizes at the same time, plus walk the virtual red carpet starting at 7 p.m. ET.

This year's The Game Awards has a total of 30 categories, ranging from the most coveted award, Game of the Year, to niche awards such as Best Esports Coach and Best Community Support. The full list of nominations can be read on the Game Awards website.

Game of the Year is the biggest award of the night. It is the video game equivalent of the Academy Award for Best Picture or the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. This year, six video games were nominated: Deathloop, It Takes Two, Metroid Dread, Psychonauts 2, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and Resident Evil Village.

We reviewed each and every one of the nominated games during 2021 and found them to be quite strong. That said, it was quite surprising that major titles such as "Returnal" and "Forza Horizon 5" were not nominated. Nevertheless, all of the games nominated for the industry's biggest awards deserve to be on that list.

If you would like to weigh in on the winning titles, you can cast your vote via The Game Award website. These votes, along with those from the panel of experts, will be tallied to determine the overall winner of the day.

The Game Awards 2021 will be hosted by Jeff Keeley as usual, and after last year's virtual event by Pandemic, this year's event will be held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Some of the biggest names in gaming will be in attendance, and there will be a number of all-star guests.

There is no denying that the actual awards ceremony is only half the appeal of the game awards. Many gamers only come to the event to see game announcements and new trailers.

In an interview with Epic Games, Keighley claimed that as many as 50 games will be on display at this year's show, some of which are not expected to be released until 2023. Hogwarts Legacy," "Horizon Forbidden West," and "The Avoid" have all been confirmed, but at least a few new games will also be announced.