Leaked Message From Geoff Keighley EXPOSES "The Game Awards" True Agenda...

Geoff Keighley’s Push to Trademark “The Game Awards” Raises SERIOUS Questions About the Future of the Industry

In a WILD move that has caused quite the 'uproar' in the gaming community lately, Geoff Keighley, the face of The Game Awards, is now attempting to trademark the name of the annual event. This article serves as a follow-up to my original video (below), where I touched upon the implications of this decision... as now, more information has come to light, and a message from Geoff Keighley himself has been leaked to me by an industry insider, and the tactics being implemented here by Geoff are insidious.

The following leaked email was allegedly sent to those who participated in one of The Game Awards' Zoom sessions during the pandemic.

The email, leaked by someone close to the situation, reveals that Keighley and his team are actively attempting to seek support from "fans" to bolster their trademark application potential.

The email begins innocuously enough, mentioning the upcoming 10th anniversary of The Game Awards, before transitioning into an outright evil direct request:

“We are currently in the midst of registering ‘The Game Awards’ as a mark with the US Patent & Trademark Office. We are looking for letters of support to establish that consumers (that’s you!) distinctively associate the term ‘The Game Awards’ with our annual awards show.”

Fans were encouraged to sign a form via DocuSign, with the promise that the process would only take “about 30 seconds.” While the email frames this as a harmless and celebratory gesture, the implications for the industry are far from anything trivial.

The Problem with Trademarks in Gaming

Trademarking a phrase as broad as "The Game Awards" has the potential to create ripple effects across the industry. The term itself is incredibly generic and, until now, has served as a shorthand for gaming recognition in general.

By seeking to try and monopolize this term, Keighley would effectively limit how others in the industry use similar phrases. This WILL ABSOLUTELY stifle smaller or independent awards shows and media outlets that have historically celebrated gaming achievements outside of Keighley's high-budget, corporate-sponsored platform.

This move feels like a step toward greater consolidation of power within an industry already dominated by a handful of 'industry' voices. If The Game Awards becomes a legally protected trademark, it sets a dangerous precedent for other broad, community-driven phrases to be privatized.

This isn't just about protecting intellectual property—it’s about controlling the narrative and the space in which gaming culture is supposed to be celebrated.

Fans as Pawns in the Application Process

What makes this situation particularly troubling is the way the email appeals to fans to aid in the trademark process. It asks recipients to submit 'personal reflections' about their connection to The Game Awards, Keighley’s team is leveraging the goodwill of the gaming community to serve their legal ambitions. Some people may read this message thinking its completely innocent or that they are 'doing the right thing' by participating in pushing the agenda forward. But no. The request subtly frames the trademark application as a collaborative effort, even though its ultimate purpose is to give one entity exclusive control over a term that belongs to all of us, in the broader gaming verbiage.

The email’s tone is casual, but its intent is clear:

“In addition, if you want to reply to this email with any personal reflections with details on how you came to know and live The Game Awards, we would be happy to include your individual thoughts in our application when it is filed in a few weeks.”

This appeal feels disingenuous, especially when you consider that the result of such efforts would only serve corporate interests instead of the gaming community itself.

A Troubling Direction for the Video Game Industry

The gaming industry has long been a battleground between creativity and commercialization. While The Game Awards has grown into a larger platform for "celebrating" gaming, it has unfortunately become a corporate spectacle that prioritizes big-budget reveals over meaningful acknowledgment of indie developers and community-driven efforts over the years.

As I stated in my original video covering this - the move feels like a direct response to Stuttering Craig's "The Real Game Awards" show, which dares to offer an alternative celebration of gaming outside of Geoff's carefully corporately controlled narrative. Ironically, Geoff Keighley has long championed inclusivity in gaming, but this attempt to trademark The Game Awards flies directly in the face of that mantra - Almost as if - Its about the money, the power, the control... and the DEI buzzwords that get flippantly tossed around are only used to further that agenda. It’s not about celebrating gaming as a whole—it’s about consolidating power, silencing competition, and positioning himself as the sole authority in the space. The truth is, it isn’t about protecting any kind of brand; it’s about taking over the industry and ensuring his is the only voice that matters.

By trademarking "The Game Awards," Keighley is making a direct attack against any grassroots campaigns that had always defined gaming culture. This move now shifts the focus from fostering a diverse and inclusive community to... protecting a corporate brand. It also raises questions about the future of gaming events: Will we see other broad terms trademarked and locked away behind legal barriers? How will this impact smaller organizations that lack the resources to navigate these restrictions? The ripple effects of something like this actually going though will travel further than anyone would typically imagine.

Ultimate Gamer Betrayal

This attempt to trademark The Game Awards feels like a betrayal of the gaming community’s trust. While Keighley may try to frame this as a 'necessary step' to protect their brand, those imbedded in the situation know it's far worse than that. It comes at the cost of limiting the creative and cultural space that gaming has always thrived in.

We all need to remain vigilant against moves like this that prioritize corporate interests over community values. The industry is already inundated with monopolies; do we really need another example of exclusivity disguised as progress? It's time we took gatekeeping privileges away from the corporate entities and return the gaming to the players - where it belongs.

The email leak completely exposes how Keighley was trying to involve the community to achieve a goal that would 100% ultimately harm it. This is a conversation that needs to happen—not just about The Game Awards... but about the broader implications of privatizing words within gaming.

~ Smash