GTA 6 reviews plan could throw GOTY race into chaos at The Game Awards
Rockstar Games is planning an unconventional review strategy for Grand Theft Auto 6 that could disrupt The Game Awards 2026 eligibility process. The game’s November 19 release date falls immediately before The Game Awards’ traditional eligibility cutoff, already creating a tight timeline for jury evaluations.
According to reports from Brazil, Rockstar will eschew the modern industry standard of distributing advance review copies to press, instead opting for controlled review events. This return to late-2000s practices is notably different from Rockstar’s approach with Red Dead Redemption 2 and represents a departure from contemporary gaming press standards.
The unusual review methodology threatens to complicate The Game Awards’ jury nomination deadline, which typically requires sufficient time for evaluators to assess major releases. With limited access to the game before the cutoff date, eligible jurors may face challenges in adequately evaluating GTA 6 for major awards categories.
The move represents a significant shift in how major publishers manage critical reviews and has sparked discussion about modern gaming journalism practices. Whether this strategy will actually impact The Game Awards’ processes remains to be seen, but the timing and restricted access combination creates a potential crisis for award administrators and the gaming press alike.