GTA 6 Won't Sweep All Major GOTY Awards Due to Golden Joysticks Timing
Grand Theft Auto 6's late November launch means it will miss the Golden Joysticks award eligibility window, breaking the possibility of a complete clean sweep across the five major Game of the Year ceremonies.
GTA 6 will miss out on one of gaming's most prestigious Game of the Year awards due to timing. The Golden Joysticks awards show takes place eight days before Rockstar's next open-world game launches in late November, making it ineligible for nomination in 2026.
Nominations for the Golden Joysticks had to be submitted by 28th August, well before reviewers could have finished playing GTA 6. While the game is expected to win most other major GOTY awards this year, this timing gap prevents it from achieving a complete sweep of what are known as the "big five" Game of the Year awards: the Golden Joysticks, The Game Awards, the DICE Awards, the GDC Awards, and the BAFTAs.
Only two games have managed to win all five awards in their release year: Baldur's Gate 3 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. GTA 6 can still claim victory at the other four ceremonies, though its November release date means it will be eligible for the 2027 Golden Joysticks rather than this year's edition.
Sources
- Push SquareEstablished publication · recorded Sep 26, 2026GTA 6 Can't Completely Sweep This Year's GOTY Awards Anymore