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Why GTA VI Will Probably Miss 2026’s Game of the Year Awards
The most anticipated game of the decade may not be in the running for the two biggest end-of-year awards. That is a calendar problem, not a verdict on the game.
No awards body has ruled on this. What follows is the calendar and what happened in previous years. The Game Awards has not published its 2026 cut-off.
The dates
| Awards | What is known | Status for GTA VI |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Joystick Awards 2026 | Eligibility window: 8 November 2025 to 25 October 2026 | Outside the window. |
| The Game Awards 2026 | Show on 10 December. Last year jury nominations closed on 11 November, with nominees announced on 24 November. | Unclear. If the cut-off is similar, the game launches after it. |
| DICE, GDC and BAFTA Games Awards | Held in 2027 | Eligible. |
The argument
The point was raised by presenter Alanah Pearce and picked up widely: even if The Game Awards made an exception, jurors would be voting days after launch on a game this size. That is a fair observation about the process; it is not a statement from the organisers.
What it changes
Nothing about the game or the date. 19 November stands, and there is no sign of a delay. If the cut-off does exclude it, GTA VI would compete in the 2027 edition of The Game Awards instead, and at the ceremonies held early next year.
Sources
- GTA 6 might not get a shot at Game of the Year at TGA 2026 — GTABase, 1 October 2026.
- GTA 6 probably won't win Game of the Year — RockstarINTEL, 30 September 2026.
Every factual claim above is labelled as confirmed or unconfirmed and traced to the source listed here. Where Rockstar has said nothing, this page says so rather than filling the gap.