I’m not a gambling man. But if I were, this year’s Game of the Year winner at The Game Awards has a clear favorite. The cut-off for eligibility across all categories at the 2026 event has been announced, and it gives just enough time for GTA 6 to slide in.
Per official criteria from The Game Awards, the cutoff is Friday, November 20. Any and all candidates for the trophies must be publicly available for purchase by then. When does GTA 6 arrive? November 19.
That’s convenient, isn’t it? The rules around the awards have been etched in stone for years now, and it’s probably a stretch to say Rockstar aimed to get the new Grand Theft Auto in time to definitely qualify, but it’ll likely have been seen as a worthwhile bonus.
The Game Awards gets a lot of eyes within the industry. It has helped bolster a proper awards circuit that elevated the likes of Baldur’s Gate 3 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 while they were cleaning up sales wise.
Given the amount of time and investment, I’m certain Take-Two and Rockstar would like GTA 6 to be topping every sales chart for months on end and racking up all the trophies and statues it can manage.
Looking at the field right now, Saros, Slay the Spire 2, and Resident Evil: Requiem are likely to be nominated from what’s already out. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake is probably the one to watch for GTA 6, but who knows.
As I say, I don’t gamble. But the fact Grand Theft Auto 6 will be in the mix definitely tilts the odds.