Grand Theft Auto 6 has been delayed. Rockstar first planned to release the game in late 2025. but now it will come out in May 2026.
The delay changes things for 2025. Everyone developers, publishers, critics and players expected GTA 6 to be the biggest and best game of the year. likely winning many awards. But now that it’s pushed to 2026 is the Game of the Year race wide open? Or has Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 already claimed the top spot? Let’s see what other games are in the running.
Why Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Could Be a Game of the Year Contender
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is clearly a top contender. I have played it for about six hours and really enjoyed it. and others feel the same way. It has the highest score ever on Metacritic. On OpenCritic 97% of critics recommend it with a 92% rating from top critics and a perfect 100% player rating. It’s a favorite among both fans and critics.
How likely is it to beat all the great games that have already come out this year? GTA's late-2025 release caused a rush of 50 games in the first half of the year. Of those, Blue Prince is the second highest-rated on Metacritic. but its lower user score shows it might be too divisive to gain broad support.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 and Monster Hunter Wilds both received praise and strong sales. but they appeal to smaller audiences compared to Clair Obscur which stands out for its cinematic graphics and emotional story.
Split Fiction is still a favorite but its story feels weaker compared to other games in 2025. Many also see it whether fair or not as not as good as the studio's previous GOTY winner It Takes Two. Because of this it might have trouble winning.
What’s Coming Next?
It's still May so remember things can change. Games like Clair Obscur and Blue Prince weren’t favorites until reviews came out. So we might be surprised again this year. That game you saw in a State of Play or Xbox Showcase last year? It could end up being Game of the Year.
Players are excited for several games and Clair Obscur might have some spoilers. Ghost of Yōtei which is now the big open-world game for fall could be talked about if it improves on Tsushima. The first game was liked but some didn’t like its story. The sequel will need to fix that to make an impact.
Borderlands 4 will probably do well especially since it won't compete with GTA 6. However it’s unlikely to win big. Borderlands 3 got two nominations and no wins in 2019 and unless Borderlands 4 changes a lot (which it doesn’t seem to) it will likely follow the same trend.
Donkey Kong Bananza isn't being considered for GOTY because it's been at least 20 or 30 years since a Donkey Kong game was in the running. However Bananza looks like a great example of what the Switch 2 can do with huge destructible environments. It's likely being made by the team behind Super Mario Odyssey which got a GOTY nomination So anything could happen.
Other notable games include Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Elden Ring Nightreign, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater and Witchbrook.
Each of these games faces challenges. Death Stranding 2 is a sequel to a game that divided players. So it could split opinions again. Elden Ring: Nightreign is a multiplayer game, and those rarely get GOTY nominations especially since the first one already won. Hollow Knight: Silksong could win but it still needs to release. Metal Gear Solid Delta is a remake and without Kojima it may not have the same impact. Witchbrook being an indie game will need strong support from fans and critics to stand out.
So It's not settled yet but Clair Obscur is in the lead. GTA 6 has shaken things up a little but not by much.
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