You're probably aware by now that GTA 6 is indeed eligible for The Game Awards. Rockstar is getting the game out exactly one day before the deadline. It's safe to say the open-world crime adventure is a hefty favorite for several categories, but odds are against it beating Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's sweep from last year.
Sandfall's JRPG-inspired fantasy took home nine statues, across 13 nominations in total. Big numbers, and a benchmark most can only dream of. The new Grand Theft Auto can feasibly reach the same amount of nominations, making a tie possible, but I'll be honest - it's an uphill battle.
There are a bunch we can expect to see GTA 6 in. Game of the Year, Best Game Direction, Best Narrative, sound, visuals, and performance are all fair game. Those account for seven categories.
Then there's Games for Impact, championing releases with clear, forward-thinking ideas at their core. In theory, GTA 6 can be part of that lineup. Best Action and Best Action-Adventure are both possible, but I'd expect one or the other. We'll probably see GTA 6 pull a Clair Obscur by getting one of these and Game of the Year.
Obviously, Best Independent Game and Best Debut Indie Game are out. Clair Obscur may have managed to squeeze into these, but I think partnering with an entire city and its NBA team rules out Rockstar's sequel.
Out of all the other categories, that leaves Best Community Support, Innovation in Accessibility, and Players' Voice. It's difficult to say what Rockstar's odds are for any of them. The first depends on the post-launch community launch, the second is all about what's available in-game, and I can see players rallying for the third, if even just for the meme.
On supporting the playerbase, GTA 6 is up against Wardogs, Arc Raiders, and whatever other big live-service game you care to mention, and even Clair Obscur, because anything that's been updated regularly is possible. Baldur's Gate 3 took it last year, for instance.
I wouldn't count on GTA 6 tying Clair Obscur to be quite honest, but I wouldn't count out eating my lunch on that either. This is why I'm not a gambling man. Anyway, Silent Hill: Townfall for Game of the Year, just for the Scottish representation.
