GTA 6 Ineligible For 2026/7 Awards Sweep Following Golden Joystick Date Announcement

Grand Theft Auto 6 will not be eligible to match the records set by Baldur's Gate 3 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 by completing a sweep of all five major game of the year awards in the 2026/7 season. The 44th Golden Joystick Awards were announced with confirmation that the show will take place on November 11, which falls eight days before the scheduled GTA 6 release date of November 19.

Public voting for most categories is set to begin on September 25 and end on October 23. Voting for Ultimate Game of the Year will run from October 26 to October 30. Because these dates occur several weeks before the general public can play Rockstar's latest release, the game is ineligible for this year's awards.

Typically, the big five game of the year awards season begins with the Golden Joysticks in November and concludes with the BAFTAs in April, incorporating The Game Awards in December, the DICE Awards in February, and the GDC Awards in March. With GTA 6 releasing after the Golden Joystick ceremony, a single-season sweep is out of reach.

GTA 6 will remain eligible for the 2027 Golden Joysticks. While winning top honors later could be viewed by some as a delayed sweep, purists argue that achieving a true sweep requires winning all five prizes during a single awards season. Larian and Sandfall will remain the only studios to complete the sweep by the time the BAFTAs take place next spring.