Palworld‘s communications director, Bucky, flagged a fresh knock-on effect from Rockstar’s announcement that Grand Theft Auto 6 is now due November 19. The new date sits outside the nomination windows for many 2026 game awards, which could push other developers to move their own launches so they do not have to go head-to-head with GTA in the 2027 awards season.
It is a neat bit of industry math. Release a huge, high-profile title right after most awards cutoff dates, and that title gets a clean run at the next season of prizes. Bucky pointed this out in a social post and suggested studios might start shifting their schedules to avoid the fallout from a supercharged Rockstar release.
Here is Bucky’s post:
Interestingly, just a little industry knowledge for all you gamers, a Nov 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. https://t.co/yODSv0GgeL— Bucky | Palworld (@Bucky_cm) November 6, 2025
That kind of scheduling dance has happened before. Some studios already avoid major windows where a single giant release could dominate attention and nominations. For examples and context, see our previous Palworld coverage and our piece about a former GTA developer’s take on the delay.
This will annoy players and smaller teams. A delayed heavy hitter can gobble up budgets and eyeballs for months, and a lot of studios plan their launches around award cycles and holiday buying seasons. The result could be more studios choosing different dates, or even quietly postponing until the heat has cooled.
Either way, the ripple effects are real. Palworld’s callout is the clearest public reminder yet that a single, massive release can bend not just sales and attention, but also awards calendars and other teams’ plans.
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Palworld
Developed by PocketPair
Palworld is a multiplayer, open-world survival crafting game where you can befriend and collect mysterious creatures called "Pal" in a vast world! Make your Pals fight, build, farm, and work in factories.
- Genre: Shooter, Role-playing (RPG), Hack and slash/Beat 'em up, Adventure, Indie
- Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Mac, Xbox One
- Modes: Single player, Multiplayer, Co-operative, Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO)
- Release: 2024-01-19
- Publisher: PocketPair
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Age Rating:
ACB PG / PEGI 12 / GRAC ALL / CLASS_IND 10 / ESRB T / USK 12
- IGDB Rating: 71.5/100
