GTA 6 may not even be eligible for Game of the Year at The Game Awards this year.
Actress, games writer, and former games journalist Alanah Pearce stated during a recent live stream that she doesn’t think GTA 6 has a good chance of sweeping at The Game Awards this year due to the timing of its release. Pearce stated that the cutoff date for games being eligible for TGA nominations has historically taken place around the same time as GTA 6’s release date this year. And while some have countered her insights by noting that the cutoff last year was November 21, two days after GTA 6 will release this year, there are still some valid questions raised.
Most notably: Would anyone even be able to feasibly finish GTA 6 before voting on nominees? And if not, would the jury be willing to vote on it without finishing it? That would certainly raise a lot of ethical concerns over the voting process. However, there are some ways that Rockstar’s chances could be increased. For starters, Geoff Keighley, the overseer of The Game Awards, could simply push the voting deadlines back. It’s certainly not impossible, as Keighley does love a good show, and GTA 6 sweeping would lead to a lot of eyes on the event.
Another possibility is that Rockstar Games could give jury members a significant headstart to play the game prior to the cutoff date. As of right now, it’s hard to say what Rockstar’s plans are for reviewers, but such a strategy would certainly give it an easier time securing a nomination. It’s a lot of ifs, though.
We can only speculate, but if for whatever reason GTA 6 isn’t eligible this year, it could try again in 2027… and it might still have a chance. Rockstar Games is heavily rumored to launch GTA 6’s online mode next year, which will undoubtedly give the game a massive second wind. If that’s enough to contend with other heavy hitters, such as Naughty Dog’s Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, Rockstar could be in the 2027 awards race.