GTA 6 Is Eligible for The Game Awards 2026, and Here's Why

Ever wonder if The Game Awards had a secret plan to make GTA 6 eligible this year? Well, turns out the timing is just a happy coincidence.

The Game Awards website lists November 20, 2026, at 9 PM PT as the cutoff for this year's ceremony. That means any game released before that exact moment can snag a nomination. And GTA 6? It's set to launch on November 19, 2026—just one day before the cutoff. So yes, Rockstar's next blockbuster will be in the running.

But before you grab your pitchfork, let's look at the pattern. The Friday before Thanksgiving has routinely been the cutoff for TGA nominations. Last year, it was November 21. In 2024, it was November 22. So this isn't some sneaky move to squeeze GTA in—it's just how the calendar falls. If anything, Rockstar planned around Keighley's schedule, not the other way around.

This will be the first time a Rockstar game is eligible for The Game Awards since 2018, when Red Dead Redemption II scored 10 nominations and took home four wins. Interestingly, it didn't win Game of the Year—that went to Sony Santa Monica's God of War reboot. So Rockstar knows a thing or two about being the bridesmaid.

Of course, GTA 6's eligibility was never really in doubt—unless it got delayed again. Now that we seem clear of that scenario, it's only a matter of time before we find out how many trophies are heading to Vice City.

Will GTA 6 sweep the awards, or will another game steal the spotlight? What do you think?