Will GTA 6 win GOTY 2026? Ocarina of Time sets a 96-point challenge.

Ocarina’s 96 turns the anticipation into a real contest

GTA 6 can win GOTY 2026, but Ocarina of Time has set a demanding benchmark: a 96/100 Metascore. That is the score on the Nintendo Switch 2 remake’s page checked on November 4. The famous 99 belongs to the 1998 Nintendo 64 original. Combining the two would turn this debate into a contest against a historical score that the new version does not have.

The two contenders occupy different positions. Ocarina enters the conversation with published reviews; GTA VI is still waiting for its critical reception. Today, I would give Zelda the stronger position on the evidence available. I would give Rockstar the greater potential to reshape the debate once critics can evaluate the complete game. Those are different reasons for treating them as favorites.

Nintendo describes a reconstruction with new visuals, orchestral music, voice acting, expanded scenes and modernized controls. That is the remake’s case: revisit an adventure many people know and make it work for newcomers as well. The question for an annual award is how jurors value that renewal against an entirely new experience. Being a remake creates an interesting discussion; it does not automatically rule it out.

My reading is that the contest would turn on what remains memorable after the credits. Zelda could win if its adaptation makes the dungeons, pacing and discoveries feel special again. GTA could prevail if its scale produces memorable situations and a compelling story. Nostalgia and anticipation still need to be followed by that assessment. Ocarina’s 96 gives it a strong argument, while we have yet to see GTA VI’s case in comparable depth.

Our GTA 6 score prediction and what it would need to win

If I have to make a prediction before the reviews, my editorial pick is 97/100 for GTA VI, with an illustrative range of 95 to 98. It is an optimistic scenario informed by Rockstar’s history: the Metacritic pages for GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2 include versions at 97. We have not played GTA VI or seen its reviews, and that history does not prevent the result from landing outside our range.

For that scenario to hold, I would want three things to work together: a world that encourages experimentation, missions that use its possibilities and protagonists who can carry a long adventure. An enormous city can impress in a trailer; sustaining interest for dozens of hours requires exploration, driving and story progression to remain engaging. That would distinguish an impressive spectacle from a persuasive Game of the Year contender.

Its condition when critics receive it would matter too. Persistent problems, unsatisfying controls or missions that constrain freedom too heavily could weaken the response. Those are questions to investigate, rather than faults we are claiming the game has. I would also avoid awarding extra credit for promises about a future online mode: the useful assessment is of the content available to review at the time.

If GTA VI reaches 97 or 98 and feels like a meaningful advance, it would become my favorite. At 95 or 96, I would see a much closer race: a small difference in an aggregate cannot settle which experience voters prefer. A lower-than-expected score would not automatically eliminate it either. It would make a convincing explanation of its strengths even more necessary.

Rockstar already has a useful example of the gap between acclaim and the trophy. Red Dead Redemption 2 appears at 97 on Metacritic, but God of War won The Game Awards’ 2018 Game of the Year. Even exceptional reviews can coexist with a rival the jury prefers. Our provisional pick is GTA VI for its potential, with Ocarina the favorite currently best supported by published reviews.

Who could beat both? The case for an outsider

If I had to choose an alternative to the Rockstar-versus-Nintendo contest, Big Walk would be my outsider pick. Its PC Metascore of 91 provides a substantial critical foundation, and a cooperative adventure built around communication offers something different. That is a choice based on its identity, rather than a poll putting it ahead of the field. It would still need a nomination and enough support in the final vote.

Its case would be that jurors remember its interactions between players more strongly than the size of another game’s world. Solving something together, communicating through limited tools or discovering an unexpected situation can leave a lasting impression. The obstacle would be translating that enthusiasm into a preference shared across many outlets. A strong average makes the discussion reasonable; it does not establish that such a consensus already exists.

Sektori would be my second route to an upset. Its Switch 2 page showed 93 from ten critic reviews when checked for this article. A focused action game built around movement, shooting and rhythm can make its case through precise systems. Its review sample is much smaller than the new Ocarina’s, so the numbers should not be treated as equivalent evidence of support. Its challenge would be widening recognition beyond people who already appreciate this kind of game.

I would also watch Resident Evil Requiem and Forza Horizon 6 as established-series alternatives appearing among 2026’s reviewed games. The former could appeal to voters who prefer a more concentrated horror adventure; the latter to those whose favorite experience is driving through and discovering Japan. Those are editorial arguments for watching them, rather than announced nominations or inside knowledge of jury preferences.

My provisional order for discussion would be GTA VI if it delivers its most ambitious scenario, Ocarina for the strength of its existing reception, and Big Walk as the surprise choice. Sektori deserves a place in the conversation for its reception and distinctive approach. A third game could win by persuading voters through something the leading pair are not trying to do. It would not need to match their scale or beat both Metascores to become the voters’ favorite.

The Game Awards 2026 date, release cutoff and voting

The Game Awards 2026 takes place Thursday, December 10, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The official site says nominees are coming in mid-November; the information checked does not yet specify a day. This article concerns that ceremony’s Game of the Year award. Other publications and events award their own GOTY titles and can use different calendars.

The general release cutoff is November 20 at 9 p.m. PT. There is no formal submission. Remakes can compete; winners combine jury (90%) and public (10%) votes. Players’ Voice has a separate November 30 cutoff. General public voting closes December 9 at 6 p.m. PT.

Rockstar still dates GTA VI for November 19, which would put it before the cutoff. Eligibility does not establish a nomination. A release date also differs from the time each outlet has to evaluate a game; the rules permit advance access for jurors. Nintendo’s November 5 date for Ocarina is within the window as well.

• Broadcast starts with the opening act on December 10 at 4:30 p.m. PT / 7:30 p.m. ET in the United States.
• Mainland Spain: December 11 at 1:30 a.m.; Canary Islands: 12:30 a.m.
• Latin America: December 10 at 6:30 p.m. in Mexico City, 7:30 p.m. in Bogotá and 9:30 p.m. in Buenos Aires.
• The general release cutoff converts to November 21 at 6 a.m. in mainland Spain, the same instant as November 20 at 9 p.m. PT.