GTA 6: After Latest Delay, Palworld Dev Predicts AAA Games Will “Swerve” the 2027 Awards Season

The latest delay for Grand Theft Auto 6 has pretty significant ramifications for the industry, especially for triple-A publishers. As Hello Games’ Sean Murray noted, there’s likely a rush to get their big-name titles out ahead of time. However, Palworld publishing manager and communications director, John Buckley, offered a different take.

“Interestingly, just a little industry knowledge for all you gamers, a November 19 launch puts them outside the nomination window for most games awards in 2026. Intentional or…? Either way, expect to see many games (especially AAA ones) swerve to avoid the 2027 awards season,” he said on Twitter.

Granted, he’s likely referring to The Game Awards, which announces nominations around mid-November before the ceremony in December. This doesn’t stop other publications and outlets from including the title in their awards.

It’s also unlikely that major publishers are really considering awards when it comes to the timing of releases. Case in point: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, which launched a few days before last year’s The Game Awards and went on to become a huge success. So while Grand Theft Auto 6 may sweep the 2027 TGAs, it’s a loss that most developers are probably okay with taking if it means their games can thrive in sales.