Summary
- GTA 6 lands Nov 19, narrowly making The Game Awards’ Nov 20 GOTY eligibility window.
- Several high-profile titles release in December and miss the Nov 20 cutoff, pushing them to 2027 contention.
- If you can’t wait, revisit classics—Daggerfall now has community multiplayer to keep you busy.
The Game Awards are less than two months away, and with titles like 007 First Light, Control Resonant, and Forza Horizon 6 already on the market, it’s safe to say the competition for GOTY is very vibrant and fierce. But, of course, we all know which game is going to become the bestseller among this year’s releases: GTA 6.
Thirteen years ago, Rockstar Games’ GTA 5 won Game of the Year at VGX, the predecessor to The Game Awards. However, Red Dead Redemption 2 failed to secure the title in 2018, losing to God of War, a PlayStation-exclusive title. This year, according to the updated FAQ page on The Game Awards website, Take-Two’s blockbuster will beat the release deadline by just one day — unlike these other six games.
GTA 6’s release date beats the GOTY deadline by a day
But the new Dragon Quest Monsters and Warhammer 40,000 don’t
According to The Game Awards rules, games that are commercially available on or before November 20 at 9 p.m. PT qualify for consideration. With a release date of November 19, GTA 6 barely makes it through that window. The awards show itself will air on December 10 and will be held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California.
On the other hand, some titles miss the November 20 deadline and therefore won’t qualify for GOTY this year. Among them are Hela: Of Mice & Magic, with a release date of December 1, and Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World, which comes two days later, on December 3. Below, you can find a list of all six games we’re looking forward to that won’t be considered for this year’s GOTY award.
|
Game |
Scheduled release |
What makes it notable |
|---|---|---|
|
Hela: Of Mice & Magic |
December 1 |
A cooperative adventure where you play as mice exploring a world inspired by northern Sweden. |
|
Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World |
December 3 |
The next entry in Square Enix’s monster-collecting RPG series. |
|
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV |
December 3 |
The RTS sequel misses the cutoff even with its November 30 paid early unlock. |
|
Aeterna Lucis |
December 3 |
The hand-drawn Metroidvania follow-up to Aeterna Noctis. |
|
Acts of Blood |
December 4 on PC |
An Indonesian martial arts action game; console versions follow in early 2027. |
|
Professor Layton and the New World of Steam |
December 10 |
Layton and Luke’s next puzzle adventure launches on the same day as the awards ceremony. |
Due to their release dates, these games will be eligible for consideration at The Game Awards 2027. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was released in December 2018 but became a GOTY nominee in 2019. Considering the AAA giants competing for awards this year, it might not really be a bad idea to hold off and compete with next year’s releases.
If you can’t wait for these releases, you could revisit an older RPG with something new to offer. The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall recently received a community-made multiplayer framework, letting players group up and explore its massive world together. That should keep you and a few friends busy until December rolls around.