The Game Awards 2026 nominees arrive on 17 November with GTA 6 eligible

When the nominees are revealed

The shortlist for The Game Awards 2026 will be announced live on 17 November 2026, according to Nintendo Life. The annual ceremony, hosted by its creator Geoff Keighley, then takes place on 10 December 2026.

The show will once again be held at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles. Viewers can watch on YouTube and other streaming platforms.

Late releases still qualify

Grand Theft Auto 6 launches on 19 November 2026, yet it can still be nominated. The eligibility rules state that games must be commercially available to customers on or before Friday, 20 November 2026 at 9 p.m. Pacific Time.

That also opens the door to the Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake for Switch 2, which currently holds a critic score of 96 out of 100 on Metacritic. For the Players' Voice category, the deadline is later: games must ship on or before 30 November 2026.

Other contenders in a busy year

Nintendo Life notes several other 2026 releases that could feature. Capcom published Resident Evil Requiem, along with Pragmata and Onimusha: Way of the Sword.

Nintendo also released Pokopia, a relaxing life sim in the Pokémon series. The full picture will become clear when the nominees are named next week.

Streaming inside Roblox for the first time

One change for this year's ceremony is a new viewing option. For the first time, The Game Awards will also be streamed inside the video game Roblox.

The show has grown into one of the industry's biggest annual events, and the 10 December broadcast will close out the 2026 gaming year. Nintendo Life says it will publish the full nominee list when it is revealed.