Million-Dollar Minutes: The True Cost and Controversy Behind The Game Awards 2025

The Game Awards for 2025 will premiere later tonight, December 11th. The event has become the mecca for looking back on the year in gaming, mixed with previews of some of the biggest titles coming in future years. It seems that the cost to show the world your new game is not cheap.

How Much for Just Three Minutes?

According to two sources familiar with this year’s show, a 60-second trailer can cost up to $450,000, while a three-minute trailer goes for over $1 million. With no TV ads to offset the costs of the event—which is streamed live on various platforms - it appears that gaming companies are the ones footing the bill.

It doesn’t stop at the previews, either. According to multiple developers, from indie titles to AAA juggernauts, The Game Awards offer only two tickets to attend the ceremony for those who have a game nominated. If you want to bring more staff, the companies have to pay for additional tickets. Sandfall Interactive, the studio behind Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - which set the record for most nominations ever at 12—bought several tickets at face value, roughly $300 each, to allow more of the team to attend the event. Though rumors swirl that some studios are given more than the allotted two tickets, nothing has been confirmed.

The Future of The Game Awards

In recent years, the gaming industry has struggled with layoffs and rumors of AI replacing jobs. Every recent game seems to undergo a scrutinizing investigation into how much “AI slop” was left in - see Black Ops 7 for starters. With millions being spent on short previews, which often feature mostly CGI trailers and little gameplay, you have to wonder how much further this can go. For now, we wait for The Game Awards with hope for trailers for games like GTA 6 and Elder Scrolls 6. But if the costs keep rising, at what point do The Game Awards lose sight of their original vision and become purely a marketing event?

Are you excited for The Game Awards this year? What trailer are you hoping to see? Join us on our Discord and share your thoughts.