Grand Theft Auto 6 is doubtlessly essentially the most highly-anticipated online game mission of all time, and so it is no shock that many think about it a front-runner for year-end awards. Rockstar’s observe report additionally speaks for itself. The studio recurrently places out award-winning, critically-acclaimed video games, with a few of its titles standing tall among the many highest-rated video games of all time. There is definitely an opportunity that the sport might flop, however the odds are in Rockstar’s favor. Grand Theft Auto 6 is, extra doubtless than not, going to be a landmark launch and one of many trade’s highest-rated titles.
When the Grand Theft Auto 6 launch date was nonetheless penciled in for Might 26, 2026, many might have already mentioned that subsequent 12 months’s Recreation Awards race was already gained. Nonetheless, Rockstar Video games not too long ago made the heartbreaking announcement that it was pushing GTA 6 again but once more. The new GTA 6 release date is now set for November 19, 2026. Whereas that is nonetheless in 2026, it doubtlessly means GTA 6 will not be eligible to be nominated at The Recreation Awards subsequent 12 months.
New GTA 6 Launch Date Might Imply It is Not Eligible for The Recreation Awards Subsequent 12 months
For a sport to be eligible for The Recreation Awards, they usually should launch by early November on the newest. That is when nominees are historically introduced, with The Game Awards 2024 nominees revealed on November 18 of final 12 months. For video games that launch in late November or December, they’re both misplaced within the shuffle or pop up on the next 12 months’s listing of nominees. That occurred with Tremendous Smash Bros. Final, and it’ll doubtless occur with Metroid Prime 4: Past this 12 months as properly. Successfully, because of this GTA 6 might not be eligible for The Recreation Awards within the 12 months of its launch, however as an alternative it’ll have an opportunity at The Recreation Awards 2027.
Placing extra time between the GTA 6 launch and its potential nomination at The Recreation Awards may match in opposition to it and price it in opposition to newer video games that had been really launched in 2027. Then once more, GTA 6 is so large that that might not be a respectable concern. There’s additionally the likelihood that the foundations are bent a bit to present GTA 6 the possibility to be nominated. In any case, The Game Awards is watched by millions of people, together with a ton of informal viewers that will not pay shut consideration to the trade or when the eligibility closing dates are. If GTA 6 had been to overlook The Recreation Awards 2026, it is simple to see how that might trigger controversy on social media.
The higher wager could also be to increase the Recreation Awards 2026 closing date. Not solely would that keep away from doubtlessly irritating folks by leaving GTA 6 off the listing of nominees, it might additionally give different video games that launch just a little later the possibility to win of their 12 months of launch. In fact, that is assuming any video games launch wherever near the neighborhood of GTA 6. We already know that game publishers are trying to avoid the GTA 6 launch date, so it is fairly doable that it is mainly alone in late November subsequent 12 months.
Different massive video games releasing in 2026 might desire if GTA 6 misses the closing date for Recreation Awards nominees. Publishers might really feel that it might give them a greater shot at profitable and having fun with the optimistic press that comes from being nominated for what has develop into the trade’s most prestigious awards. Others nonetheless might welcome the competitors from GTA 6 and assume their sport can stand in opposition to it and every other title launched subsequent 12 months. In any case, it’ll undoubtedly be attention-grabbing to see the way it all shakes out come subsequent 12 months.
- Launched
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November, 2026
- ESRB
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Score Pending – Possible Mature 17+
