Imax Inks Deal to Show Summer Game Fest, Game Awards in Theaters

Summer Game Fest and The Game Awards are coming to Imax.

Through a partnership unveiled Thursday, two of the video game industry’s biggest events will air live in theaters in the U.S., Canada and the U.K.

“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 Geoff Keighley, curator and producer of Summer Game Fest and The Game Awards.

Summer Game Fest — a showcase of digital events from top developers and publishers around the world that launched in 2020 amid the cancellation of E3 due to the pandemic — will take place on June 9 in Los Angeles. It will be followed by the Day of the Devs, co-produced by Double Fine Productions and iam8bit, which will showcase innovative indie games.

The Game Awards ceremony, celebrating the top studio and independent titles of the year and previewing upcoming games, will air live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles in December.

Imax will broadcast the events across the company’s LIVE network, which is in 50 markets in the U.S. currently.

“We are thrilled to be a part of these rapidly growing events,” added Megan Colligan, president, Imax entertainment and executive vp, 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.”

View the announcement video below.

5:30 p.m.: Updated with detail on Day of the Devs.