GTA 6 Misses Out on GOTY Sweep Record Due to Golden Joystick Timing

GTA 6 won't be eligible for the 2026 Golden Joystick Awards, meaning it can't match the single-season GOTY sweep achieved by Baldur's Gate 3 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Did you know that GTA 6 can't match one of gaming's biggest award records? That's right – due to the timing of the Golden Joystick Awards, Rockstar's highly anticipated title won't be able to sweep all five major Game of the Year awards in a single season, a feat achieved by Baldur's Gate 3 and matched by Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

The 44th Golden Joystick Awards were announced today, with the ceremony set for November 11. That's eight days before GTA 6 hits shelves on November 19. Public voting for most categories runs from September 25 to October 23, and voting for Ultimate Game of the Year happens from October 26-30. Since GTA 6 isn't out yet, it's not eligible for this year's Joysticks – and that means it can't win all five major GOTY awards in the same season.

So what are these 'big five' awards? The season typically kicks off with the Golden Joysticks in November, followed by The Game Awards in December, the DICE Awards in February, the GDC Awards in March, and the BAFTAs in April. To achieve a sweep, a game needs to win all five within that window. Baldur's Gate 3 did it, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 matched the feat. GTA 6, however, won't be eligible for the 2026 Joysticks because it releases after the ceremony.

GTA 6 will be eligible for the 2027 Golden Joysticks, and if it wins the big prize at The Game Awards, some might argue it still completed a delayed sweep. But the record set by Larian and Sandfall Interactive relied on winning all five across a single awards season, and there's no way GTA 6 can do that. So by the time the BAFTAs roll around next spring, those two studios will remain the only ones to have swept the big five.

Of course, GTA 6 is still expected to dominate awards when it does become eligible. It could very well win all five – just not in the same season. Whether that counts as a sweep is up for debate. Purists would say no; others might say it's just a late sweep. Either way, the record as it stands won't be touched by GTA 6.

In other Rockstar news, the studio recently released modding guidelines that ban new missions, maps, ports, and more, with a clear message: 'Respect our games.' That's a topic for another day, but it shows Rockstar is keeping a tight leash on its IP.

What do you think? Should a delayed sweep count, or does GTA 6 simply miss out on the record? Let us know in the comments!