The Golden Joystick Awards revealed their Ultimate Game of the Year shortlist on Monday, October 26, 2026, and GTA 6 is not one of the 12 games on it. The shortlist (007 First Light, Big Walk, CONTROL Resonant, Crimson Desert, Dispatch, Forza Horizon 6, Phantom Blade Zero, Pokémon Pokopia, PRAGMATA, Resident Evil Requiem, STAR WARS: Galactic Racer and The Blood of Dawnwalker) covers this year’s biggest releases, and GTA 6 was never going to make the cut: it does not launch until November 19, three weeks after the awards’ ceremony.
Why GTA 6 misses this year’s show
The Golden Joystick Awards run Ultimate Game of the Year on its own voting window so judges and readers have time to play that year’s late releases, but even that window closes before GTA 6 is out. Outlets covering the shortlist, including Push Square and GTA BOOM, reported back in September that GTA 6’s November 19 release date falls outside this year’s eligibility period, and that the game should instead be eligible for the 2027 Golden Joysticks.
GTA 6 also did not appear in the awards’ main nominee list, published September 25, 2026, in any of the 21 categories decided by that earlier public vote. GTA Online, Rockstar’s existing live game, is nominated there in the Still Playing - PC & Console category.
What’s confirmed and what isn’t
The Golden Joystick Awards are the organizer’s own event, so its nominee lists and dates are that organizer’s word, not Rockstar’s or Take-Two’s. Nothing here is a Rockstar statement. Public voting for Ultimate Game of the Year runs until October 30, 2026 (5 PM PT, midnight GMT), and the winners are announced at the ceremony on November 11, 2026, in London.
Whether GTA 6 will be nominated for the Golden Joysticks in 2027, once it has actually launched, is not known. The Game Awards, which streams December 10, 2026, has a separate and still-unannounced eligibility cutoff; GTA 6’s November 19 launch date may or may not fall inside that window.
What it means for players
Nothing changes about the game itself or its November 19, 2026 launch on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. This is purely a scheduling quirk of one awards show’s calendar. If you’re tracking how the industry is reacting to GTA 6 ahead of launch, see our news timeline for every dated milestone, and check GTA 6 sales for what’s actually been reported about pre-orders.
Pre-order the boxed GTA VI
Amazon sells the boxed Standard Edition: a download code in the box, no disc. Amazon delivers from November 12, the day pre-load opens, and standard delivery can arrive later, so check the date at checkout. The game unlocks November 19.
PS5GTA VI · PS5Standard Edition: a download code in the box, no disc, for US and Canadian PlayStation accounts. Amazon delivers from November 12, with release-day delivery for Prime members; it unlocks November 19.Pre-order on AmazonXbox Series X|SGTA VI · XboxStandard Edition: a download code in the box, no disc. Amazon delivers from November 12, with release-day delivery for Prime members; it unlocks November 19.Pre-order on AmazonPS5GTA VI DualSenseSony's official Grand Theft Auto VI Limited Edition controller in white, out November 19.Pre-order on AmazonAmazon's Pre-order Price Guarantee: "the price we charge when we ship it to you will be the lowest price offered by Amazon.com between the time you placed your order and the end of the day of the release date." Amazon's help page adds that it "does not apply to lower prices offered through any program that requires a customer to join the program to receive the lower price." Amazon's release date for the GTA VI boxes is November 12.
Amazon's listing offers Prime members release-day delivery on November 12. New members can start a 30-day free trial (Amazon, checked September 28); a trial started before mid-October runs out before November 12, so start it later or keep the membership. Try Prime on AmazonPaid link: Amazon pays GTA6.how a fee if you sign up. As an Amazon Associate, GTA6.how earns from qualifying purchases.
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Background: GTA 6 release date · Who makes GTA 6
Frequently asked questions
Is GTA 6 nominated for Golden Joystick Ultimate Game of the Year 2026?
No. The Golden Joystick Awards revealed the Ultimate Game of the Year shortlist on October 26, 2026, and GTA 6 is not one of the 12 nominees. GTA 6 launches November 19, 2026, after this category's eligibility window closed.
Why isn't GTA 6 eligible for this year's Golden Joysticks?
Outlets covering the Golden Joystick Awards report that Ultimate Game of the Year only considers games released before the eligibility window closed in late October 2026. GTA 6 launches November 19, a few weeks later, so it falls outside that window. Press coverage expects it to be eligible for the 2027 show instead.
Is GTA 6 nominated in any Golden Joystick category this year?
No. The main nominee list the Golden Joystick Awards published on September 25, 2026 did not include GTA VI in any category. GTA Online is nominated in Still Playing - PC & Console.
When are the Golden Joystick Awards?
The 44th Golden Joystick Awards ceremony streams on November 11, 2026, eight days before GTA 6 launches. Voting for Ultimate Game of the Year runs until October 30, 2026.
More GTA 6 news
Take-Two: GTA 6 Launches Single-Player Only
At Take-Two's September 17 annual meeting, Strauss Zelnick said GTA 6 launches November 19 as a single-player game on PS5 and Xbox. Vote results inside.
Xbox Says GTA 6 Pre-Orders Match Its Console Share
Xbox's Matthew Ball says GTA 6 pre-orders match Xbox's console market share and are breaking records, after a PS5-skew report. No one gave numbers.
GTA 6 File Size Reportedly 210 GB on PS5
A PlayStation Store data tracker reports GTA 6's PS5 download at 210 GB, verified by Insider Gaming, but Rockstar has not confirmed a size.
GTA 6 Review Embargo Reportedly November 18
GTA 6 review codes are reportedly going out now, with critics able to publish reviews on November 18, a day before launch, per leaker NateTheHate.