Rockstar Games might have just unlocked the secret to award farming with Grand Theft Auto 6, now set to go home with its nth trophy after being recently delayed from its original May 26, 2026, release date.
The announcement came during a livestream on November 17, when The Game Awards revealed nominees across more than 30 categories. GTA 6 finds itself competing against Marvel's Wolverine, The Witcher 4, Resident Evil Requiem, and 007 First Light for the Most Anticipated Game award.
GTA 6 already won this exact award last year. Now, due to multiple delays that have pushed the release date past Fall 2025, the game has become eligible for the same award again. If it wins, it would join Elden Ring as the only games to claim the award twice.
Despite going up against heavy hitters, GTA 6's chances remain as strong as ever. The entire industry is reportedly watching GTA 6 closely, making adjustments to their release schedules based on its release date. We already know that Death Stranding 2, Ghost of Yotei, and The Outer Worlds 2 as games that couldn't be more than happy to see GTA 6's initial delay. So games slated to release in the second quarter of 2026 could be feeling similarly delighted that they won't have to contend with a game expected to make billions within its first week alone.
However, the situation does raise question about The Game Awards' nomination criteria. Should there be limits on how many times an unreleased game can be nominated for the same category? Or does the sustained anticipation over multiple years justify repeated nominations?
After all, Rockstar could just easily delay GTA 6 again. If that happens, what then? Will we see GTA 6 go for the hat trick?
Of course, this just proves just how much fans are dying to play the next Grand Theft Auto. The fact that a game can maintain such high levels of anticipation across multiple years, despite delays, speaks to the franchise's popularity.
