VGX 2013 Video Game Awards before the show round-up

UPDATE: Want to see how it all turned out? Read the biggest announcements from the show right here.

The 2013 VGX (previously known as the Spike Video Game Awards) will be held tomorrow night starting at 6 p.m. EDT. The three-hour long show promises numerous worldwide reveals and exclusive information about some of the franchises you know and love. Plus, there will be surprises. We love surprises. To get you ready for the show, we've prepared a primer with everything we know--and everything we think we know--about tomorrow night's event.

(Programming note: show starts at 3 p.m. PDT / 6 p.m. EDT at VGXLive.com, or through Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, Twitch, Hulu, Yahoo, iOS, or Android. We'll be with you through the night reporting on the news and posting the trailers).

If you were upset over the way in which past year's shows emphasized celebrities over content, 2013 may be the time to tune in again. Viacom Entertainment Group event production head Casey Patterson said he understands this concern, and made clear that event organizers are "stripping away anything that takes time away from world premieres and interviews with the community of game developers that the fans want to hear from."

Here's a rundown of what to expect from the 2013 VGX. And let's get this out of the way up front: Nothing from Bethesda will be at the show, including the long-awaited Fallout 4.

Hosts:

Community's Joel McHale and Geoff Keighely of Spike TV.

Musical Event:

A live performance of songs from the game's official soundtrack and hosted by Loiter Squad (Adult Swim). Featuring performances by:

• A$AP Rocky
• The Chain Gang of 1974
• Jay Rock
• Loiter Squad (as Tyler, the Creator)
• Woody Jackson, The Alchemist, and Oh No will perform selections from the GTA 5 score
• Other Special guests

What we know:

South Park: The Stick of Truth - Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone will be on-hand with an "exclusive sneak peek" at the upcoming stylized role-playing game.

Destiny - Bungie promises to share "a detail or two" concerning its upcoming shared-world shooter.

Titanfall - We're promised a look at new Titanfall content.

Quantum Break - Remedy will show off gameplay for the mysterious transmedia game.

Broken Age - Wil Wheaton was just revealed as the lastest member of the cast, and Double Fine promised another big voice actor reveal at the show.

Dying Light - From the makers of Dead Island comes a new zombie-themed open-world survival game, which is split into two parts: night and day. Perhaps we'll learn a release date.

Tom Clancy's The Division - Prepare yourself for the first in-engine footage.

Thief - Square Enix has said the game will make an appearance at the show. But beyond that, there's nothing to go on. We already know the release date and platforms, so what's left?

Tomb Raider - We know some form of Tomb Raider news is planned. Last month, Amazon posted a product listing for a Tomb Raider Definitive Edition for PS4. Plus, there's a sequel in development.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - A new in-game trailer is promised for one of 2014's most anticipated role-playing games. Will it live up to the hype?

Mystery Wii U game - Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime, making his first appearance in the show's ten-year history, will be on-hand to provide a "new look at an upcoming Wii U game."

Mystery indie game - Described only as "very special game."

What's Nintendo Showing?

We took an informal poll of the GameSpot editors, asking "What will Nintendo show at the VGX awards?" They were given the following choices: Bayonetta 2, Mario Kart 8, Smash Bros. Wii U, New unannounced game (not Zelda), Zelda Wii U, Other. Here's how the answers panned out:

What does the "X" in "VGX" stand for?

The VGX, were previously called the Spike VGAs. Other than avoiding the redundancy of saying VGA awards, where did the name change come from, and what does X stand for? We have no idea! Here are our top 5 guesses:

1. Video Game Xtreme
2. Video Game Experience
3. Video Game Extravaganza
4. Video Game Excellence
5. Video Game Extreeeeeeeemmmmmmeeeee

Wild Speculation:

Eddie Makuch, GameSpot Editor: Perhaps it is wishful thinking, but wouldn't it be wild if Microsoft gives a proper glimpse at the all-new Halo game for Xbox One? That would be a great Christmas present, indeed. I'm also crossing my fingers for something from Gears of War studio Epic Games, and I don't mean Fortnite. I would embrace a next-gen Gears of War title, but would be even more psyched about an all-new shooter franchise. Lastly, I am hoping against hopes that Respawn announces a beta for Titanfall during the show. It's a multiplayer-only game, so you'd think a proper stress test would be in order, no?

Justin Haywald, GameSpot Senior Editor: I expect we'll see at least a little more Uncharted and Last of Us DLC. And maybe we'll learn what the Xbox-exclusive DLC for Metal Gear Solid V will be. But, so soon after the consoles launched, will there really be any big surprises? Last year brought us Dark Souls II, so I'm going to go out on a limb for this year and say the big announcement for VGX 2013 will be...Spelunky 2.