GTA 6 joins Cyberpunk 2077 in winning the Most Wanted Golden Joysticks award two years running, in what's not a worrying coincidence whatsoever

Something can have too much hype - ask CD Projekt Red after Cyberpunk 2077. Now, though, GTA 6 may be verging on such territory, being a sequel in development for over a decade and such. As such, it's amusing that the two games now share a distinct honor when it comes to generating buzz.

They are two of only three releases so far to earn the Most Wanted award at the Golden Joysticks two years on the trot. Cyberpunk 2077 took home the trophy in 2018 and 2019, while Grand Theft Auto 6 got it in 2024 and this year, 2025. The third game to manage this fear? The Witcher 3, in 2013 and 2014.

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Repairs have been made, and it's a much more stable release now than it was when it came out. But it's a clear example of setting expectations to the point they become almost unattainable. Although The Witcher 3 is now widely beloved, there were problems when it came out, too. Not to the extent of Cyberpunk 2077, but Geralt of Rivia's generation-defining outing had its foibles.

GTA 6 will have its problems, as any release of any scale does. Rockstar recently delayed it again, to November 2026, causing genuine shockwaves through the industry, because nobody wants to put something out against it (except Devolver Digital). That's a lot of excitement to make good on. CD Projekt actually responded, noting nobody wants another Night City situation.

Is winning Most Wanted at the Golden Joysticks a harbinger of things to come? Probably not, but part of me wonders if anyone will ever do it three times in a row. Red Dead Redemption 3 or The Witcher 4, perhaps.

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