Watch the 2021 Game Awards here at 8PM ET

The Game Awards are in-person once again, but you'll still have an opportunity to tune in online. The games industry ceremony is streaming live at 8PM Eastern, and you can watch it here through YouTube as well as through multiple other services that include Twitch, Twitter, TikTok, Facebook Live, Steam and even in VR (albeit 2D) through Oculus Venues.

You can expect sizzle from the awards themselves, with frontrunner nominees like Deathloop and Ratchet & Clank vying for attention alongside indie darlings and odd choices like Cyberpunk 2077. You'll also likely see a surprise or two among the many game premieres and updates that define the show. That's not including simultaneous launches like the Unreal Engine 5-based The Matrix Awakens demo.

However, this year's event may be as notable for the surrounding drama as the actual presentation. Activision Blizzard will be a no-show (beyond the advisory board, that is), and the company's sexual harassment scandal may cast a shadow over some nominees. You can also be sure the organizers will make full use of a real-world venue, with performances from the likes of Sting and Imagine Dragons. In that light, the 2021 gala still won't represent business as usual.