The current gaming year is shaping up to be an extremely unusual one for the prestigious Game Awards. The main favorite in this race was initially thought to be the yet-to-be-released Grand Theft Auto 6, but Rockstar’s long silence has left the industry counting on the emergence of a strong competitor.
By September 2026, the situation is looking surprisingly grim: Most potential successes face roadblocks from genre bias from critics or reserved reviews. Vampire RPG Blood of the Dawnwalker launched to high scores on Metacritic but failed to generate widespread enthusiasm from the media, while other releases like Onimusha: Kendo and Orbit were noticeably quieter than expected.
As such, the only consistent contender for a nomination remains Resident Evil Requiem, which has been leading the pack since the beginning of the year. Fall releases like Marvel’s “Wolverine” or “War Machine: E-Day” may still offer some surprises, but who can truly challenge the biggest blockbusters of the decade?
