Grand Theft Auto 6 has won the Most Wanted Game accolade at the Golden Joystick Awards for the second year in a row. With this rare achievement, GTA 6 joins an exclusive club that includes only two other titles: Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
The Golden Joystick Awards introduced the Most Wanted Game category in 2003, though its name has varied over the years, from “Most Anticipated Game” and “The One to Watch” to “Most Wanted Award” and eventually “Most Wanted Game.” Except for 2006, when The One to Watch 2007 went to the PlayStation 3, the accolade has consistently been awarded to games. Before GTA 6 was officially delayed to 2026, it won the Most Wanted Game award at the 2024 ceremony. This marked Rockstar’s first win in the category since GTA 5 received the same honor in 2012.
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GTA 6 Wins Golden Joystick’s ‘Most Wanted Game’ Award for 2nd Year in a Row
Rockstar’s open-world action adventure has repeated its achievement at the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards, winning the Most Wanted Game accolade for the second year in a row. With this, Rockstar becomes only the second company to secure consecutive wins in the category, joining CD Projekt Red, which achieved the feat twice, with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2013, 2014) and Cyberpunk 2077 (2018, 2019). Much like GTA 6‘s latest delay contributed to its double victory, CDPR’s RPGs earned their second win after being postponed, making them eligible for the award in two consecutive years.
GTA 6 Is Also the Frontrunner for 2nd Consecutive TGA ‘Most Anticipated Game’ Award
GTA 6 is expected to repeat this achievement at The Game Awards 2025, having already won the ceremony’s Most Anticipated Game accolade last year. The 2025 edition of the event is scheduled to take place on December 11. With hype for the title reaching near-unprecedented levels—evidenced by publishers like IO Interactive openly welcoming GTA 6’s latest delay because it spares them from competing with it next spring—its sweep of the major “most anticipated” accolades is shaping up to be one of the least controversial outcomes of the upcoming game awards season. If worst comes to pass and GTA 6 gets delayed for the third time, slipping into 2027, it would likely still be the frontrunner for next year’s most-anticipated-game awards.
Past Winners of Golden Joystick’s Most Wanted Award
|
Year |
Category Name |
Winner |
Winner’s Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|
|
2003 |
Most Anticipated Game for 2004 |
Half-Life 2 |
Nov 16, 2004 |
|
2004 |
Most Wanted Game For 2005 |
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess |
Nov 19, 2006 |
|
2005 |
One to Watch for 2006 |
Resident Evil 5 |
Mar 5, 2009 |
|
2006 |
The One to Watch 2007 |
PlayStation 3 |
Nov 17, 2006 |
|
2007 |
The One to Watch |
Assassin’s Creed |
Nov 13, 2007 |
|
2008 |
Most Wanted Award |
Fallout 3 |
Oct 28, 2008 |
|
One to Watch |
Call of Duty: World at War |
Nov 11, 2008 |
|
|
2009 |
ShortList One to Watch |
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 |
Nov 10, 2009 |
|
2010 |
The One to Watch |
Call of Duty: Black Ops |
Nov 9, 2010 |
|
2011 |
The One to Watch |
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim |
Nov 11, 2011 |
|
2012 |
One to Watch |
Grand Theft Auto 5 |
Sep 17, 2013 |
|
2013 |
Most Wanted |
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt |
May 19, 2015 |
|
2014 |
|||
|
2015 |
Most Wanted Game |
Fallout 4 |
Nov 10, 2015 |
|
2016 |
Most Wanted Game |
Mass Effect: Andromeda |
Mar 21, 2017 |
|
2017 |
Most Wanted Award |
The Last of Us Part 2 |
Jun 19, 2020 |
|
2018 |
Most Wanted Award |
Cyberpunk 2077 |
Dec 10, 2020 |
|
2019 |
|||
|
2020 |
Most Wanted Award |
Untitled God of War Sequel (GoW Ragnarok) |
Nov 9, 2022 |
|
2021 |
Most Wanted Award |
Elden Ring |
Feb 25, 2022 |
|
2022 |
Most Wanted Award |
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom |
May 12, 2023 |
|
2023 |
Most Wanted Award |
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth |
Feb 29, 2024 |
|
2024 |
Most Wanted Game |
Grand Theft Auto 6 |
Nov 19, 2026 |
|
2025 |
GTA 6 aside, the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards were dominated by Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which took home six awards, winning every category it was nominated in, including Ultimate Game of the Year, Best Soundtrack, and Best Storytelling. Peak won Best Multiplayer Game, TES 4: Oblivion Remaster earned Best Remake/Remaster, and Blue Prince was named Best Indie Game.
- Released
-
November, 2026
- ESRB
-
Rating Pending – Likely Mature 17+
Source: TheGamer
