This generation’s mega-game, Grand Theft Auto 6, will be eligible for The Game Awards 2026 by a matter of one day.
As highlighted on X by industry watcher Shinobi602, the cut-off date for this year’s The Game Awards is 20th November, meaning GTA 6 – which arrives on 19th November – can be nominated across the show’s various categories in 2026 and can potentially win. “Games must be made commercially available to customers on or before Friday, November 20, 2026, at 9pm PT,” The Game Awards’ website FAQ states.
Watch on YouTube
The fit is so snug it might appear an exception has been made for Rockstar’s game, but as Shinobi602 also noted, cut-off dates have been pretty similar each year, varying only by a day or two.
With GTA 6 in contention, the question becomes one of how much it could dominate proceedings. Rewind to Rockstar’s last big release – Red Dead Redemption 2 in 2018 – and that game took home four awards: Best Narrative, Best Audio Design, Best Score/Music, and Best Performance (won by Roger Clark for his portrayal of protagonist Arthur Morgan).
The current TGA record holder – the game to beat – is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which last year took home nine wins, including the coveted Game of the Year award. Before Clair Obscur, the previous leader was Baldur’s Gate 3, with six wins. GTA 6 is an order of magnitude larger in terms of budget, scope, and public anticipation than either game, especially Clair Obscur. The weight of expectation is on Rockstar, that’s for sure.
The Game Awards 2026 takes place on 10th December, and usually bookends the year’s industry activity, after which we all frantically try to decide what our personal games of the year are. Eurogamer, for full disclosure, is a member of The Game Awards jury, along with many other gaming websites.
Meanwhile, Rockstar released a new launch trailer for GTA 6 this afternoon, highlighting Jason and Lucia’s steamy relationship – literally, as they frolic in the shower – and the strain of being in a high-stakes crime environment such as theirs.
Rockstar is also currently embroiled in an employment tribunal in Scotland revolving around the sudden firing of 31 staff from Rockstar North last year. Those affected call it union-busting, whereas Rockstar insists employees were fired for gross misconduct. The verdict is now not expected until well into November, almost bang on when GTA 6 releases.