Due to its delay, GTA 6 may not be eligible for GOTY 2026

The release of GTA 6 in November could leave it out of the main awards next year.

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Following the confirmation of the delay of GTA 6, the debate has begun. Beyond the commercial impact or public reactions, one question has started to gain traction: could this move leave the highly anticipated Rockstar title out of the running for Game of the Year 2026?

The new release date would put GTA 6 in a complicated position regarding nominations for major events on the calendar, including The Game Awards and the Golden Joystick Awards. The title, now scheduled for November 19, 2026, would arrive too late for most festivals that evaluate releases during the natural year.

A late release that could alter the 2026 nominations

Under current rules, GTA 6 would fall outside the usual evaluation period, meaning its chances of being considered for awards that year would be virtually nonexistent. Only a change in the organizers’ regulations could allow for its inclusion, something that has not been announced yet.

According to John Buckley, community manager of PocketPair:

Buckley, in an ironic tone, wondered if Rockstar’s decision was truly strategic: “I don’t know if this is intentional or not… but it seems to me that many AAA studios could take note and reserve their big releases for late 2026,” he commented on social media. Meanwhile, the delay has had a negative impact on Take-Two’s stock, the publisher of the series, which has fallen sharply since the news was announced.

Either way, the delay of GTA 6 not only changes the release calendar but could also completely redefine the 2026 awards race, leaving one of the most anticipated games in history out of the media spotlight for the year.