GTA VI cannot enter the main categories of the 2026 Golden Joystick Awards as its release date does not meet this year's eligibility requirements. Its absence is not due to deliberate exclusion, but rather because its launch date falls outside the specified eligibility window.
The main categories of the Golden Joystick Awards require participating games to be released between November 1, 2025, and September 25, 2026, with the deadline for the top prize, "Ultimate Game of the Year," extended to October 25. For awards decided by jury vote, the window is broader, allowing titles released up to the ceremony day on November 11 to participate.
GTA VI is scheduled for release the week after the awards ceremony, missing the cutoff dates for major annual awards. Under the rules, the title can compete for "Most Anticipated Game," but this does not guarantee its inclusion in this year's major annual award categories.
The Game Awards will be held on December 10, by which time GTA VI will have been on the market for several weeks. The event uses a jury voting system, meaning judges with review access may have played the game before the ceremony. Events such as the DICE Awards, GDC, and BAFTA Games Awards will take place in early 2027, at which point the title could become a contender; under the Golden Joystick Awards' cycle, it will also be eligible for the 2027 edition.