GTA 6 Is No Longer Able to Match Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s Record

There's a strong sense that GTA 6, set for release this November on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, could end up being the best game of 2026. That feeling only grew after the late-August gameplay presentation, which showed just how massive and detailed Rockstar's next project really is. That said, GTA 6 will not match the record set by last year's best game, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

As we recall, Sandfall Interactive's debut project swept Game of the Year at five major ceremonies, the Golden Joystick Awards, The Game Awards, the DICE Awards, the GDC Awards, and the BAFTA Games Awards, a feat previously matched only by Baldur's Gate 3. GTA 6 won't even be eligible for all of them, as the Golden Joystick Awards just confirmed its ceremony for November 11, with nominations coming this week and voting for Ultimate Game of the Year running October 26 to 30, a window that rules GTA 6 out entirely.

The Game Awards 2026 could pose a similar problem, since GTA 6 launches just three weeks before the ceremony. Nothing's confirmed yet, but given Rockstar's typical embargo practices, journalists likely won't get early access in time, which could keep the game off the nominee list there too.

Even so, Polygon argues GTA 6 is still likely to be considered the best game of 2026 regardless of award nominations, pointing out Rockstar's project simply doesn't have serious competition this year. Given that both GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2 scored 97 on Metacritic, there's a good chance GTA 6 lands at least a 95, likely making it the year's highest-rated release either way.