EXCLUSIVE: The Game Awards and Summer Game Fest producer Geoff Keighley has partnered up with Imax to level up the two annual gaming events.
On Thursday, Imax announced that it will air the two buzzy gaming occasions live across its theaters in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.
“We are thrilled to be a part of these rapidly growing events,” said Megan Colligan, President, Imax Entertainment and Executive Vice President, Imax Corp. “The two video game events are a part of Imax’s continued efforts to diversify its content portfolio with more live and interactive events and we are looking forward to being a part of them for years to come.”
The first event in the newly-announced partnership will be Summer Game Fest Live!, which will kick off on June 9 at 11 a.m. PT from Los Angeles. Produced and hosted by Keighley, Summer Game Fest unveils updates for a number of highly-anticipated gaming titles. See what’s in store for this year’s event in the trailer above. The 2021 iteration provided sneak peeks at Elden Ring, Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding: Director’s Cut and more.
The partnership will also expand to The Game Awards, Keighley’s annual ceremony honoring the year’s best gaming titles, notable influencers and upcoming talent. The awards ceremony, which enters its ninth year, will air live from Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Like Summer Game Fest, The Game Awards also present first looks and updates on a slew of popular gaming projects. The Game Awards have also touted a star-studded list of guests, most recently featuring appearances by Simu Liu, Jim Carrey, Ben Schwartz, Giancarlo Esposito and more.
In addition to the game reveals and star power, the two events have also boasted notable names in the music scene. At the 2021 Summer Game Fest, Weezer and Japanese Breakfast performed, while Imagine Dragons and Sting played their Arcane tunes at The Game Awards 2021.
With the live Imax broadcasts, members of the gaming community can gather for the shared experience of gameplay reveals, generations and surprise game announcements.
“Video games are the most powerful, immersive and spectacular form of entertainment in the world, so it’s only natural to bring them to fans in Imax, the world’s most immersive cinema format,” said Keighley.
Imax tickets for Summer Game Fest will go on sale May 12 at 9 a.m. PT.