The Game Awards 2026 Sets November 20 Nomination Cutoff

The Game Awards has confirmed the nomination cutoff date for its 2026 ceremony. According to an update to the FAQ page on the show's official website, any video game made commercially available to the public on or before Friday, November 20 at 9pm PT is eligible for The Game Awards 2026.

That window means Grand Theft Auto 6 would be officially eligible if Rockstar Games sticks to its November 19 release date. The title is scheduled to arrive one day before the cutoff.

The timing follows a pattern the ceremony has kept for the last six years, with the cutoff set on the third Friday of November. The Game Awards 2019 used November 15, The Game Awards 2023 used November 17, and last year's cutoff was November 21.

Grand Theft Auto 6 has been a fixture at the ceremony before it has even launched: it won The Game Awards' Most Anticipated Game award in both 2024 and 2025. Rockstar's previous major release, Red Dead Redemption 2, was tied with God of War as The Game Awards 2018's most nominated game and won four awards, including Best Narrative. Grand Theft Auto 5 took a Best Remaster win at the first Game Awards ceremony in 2014.