^{Credit:  Grand Theft Auto VI (Rockstar Games), Resident Evil Requiem (Capcom), The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Nintendo)}

2026 has brought some grim headlines for the game industry, namely Sony’s announcement that it will cease producing physical discs in January 2028. For all the negative news, there have been some great games in the mix. From AAA titles like 007 First Light and Pragmata to indie hit treasures like Mina the Hollower and Mouse: P.I. for Hire, there are several strong contenders for this year’s Game of the Year lineup. There have even been some late-breaking critical darlings like Onimusha: Way of the Sword, Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave, and Big Walk (the latter potentially being a David among Goliaths). Of all the games released in 2026 (so far), though, most would agree that the standout is still one that came out back in February. Resident Evil Requiem is not only a surefire GOTY nominee, but a high point in a thirty-year-old franchise.  

Although Resident Evil remains one of the most enduring names in video games, the series has occasionally struggled to strike a balance between horror and action. The ninth mainline entry in the series finds the ideal middle ground with its two protagonists: Leon Kennedy, making his overdue return, and welcome newcomer Grace Ashcroft. While the player can tweak the settings to their personal preference, it’s recommended that you experience Grace’s story from a first-person perspective and Leon’s from the third-person. This adds to the spine-chilling, claustrophobic, and personal nature of Grace’s narrative, while Leon’s leans more into bombastic set pieces. Yet, it doesn’t feel like we’re playing two different games when switching between these characters. Rather, it plays like the offspring of Resident Evil 2 and 4. 

Requiem is draped in that classic Resident Evil atmosphere, revisiting several plot points from previous games. At the same time, there’s room for an involving original story as Grace unravels her mysterious past and ties to a little blind girl named Emily. Requiem is a sequel that honors the franchise’s legacy without waving nostalgia in our face. It also manages to evolve without radically tweaking the formula, taking what already worked and streamlining it. Fans couldn’t have asked for a better game to commemorate the franchise’s thirtieth anniversary. You know what would also be a great way to celebrate three decades of Resident Evil? Taking home Game of the Year. 

Since the Game Awards were introduced in 2014, three Resident Evil games have been nominated for the top prize: Resident Evil 2 (Remake), Resident Evil Village, and Resident Evil 4 (Remake), which lost to Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, It Takes Two, and Baldur's Gate 3, respectively. Resident Evil is currently tied with Super Mario for the most GOTY nominations without a win. Requiem could potentially end this streak. In addition to being a landmark year for the franchise, 2026 also finally brought us a Resident Evil movie that won over critics and audiences alike. I’d say that now’s the time to give Resident Evil its due, but two giants are standing in its way. 

There’s a reason why the fourth quarter of 2026 is mostly barren in terms of new releases. Few are bold enough to go head-to-head with Grand Theft Auto VI in November. Grand Theft Auto V came out in 2013, one year before the inaugural Game of the Year Awards. With GTA V becoming one of the best-selling games of all time, trailing only Minecraft and Tetris, Rockstar had little reason to rush out a sixth mainline entry. After Grand Theft Auto VI was finally announced in 2023, it won Most Anticipated Game two years in a row. Among the games it beat last year was Requiem. Of course, Marvel’s Wolverine was also nominated, showing how the most anticipated games aren’t always the ones that crack 90 or even 80 on Metacritic. 

That said, it’s hard to imagine a world where GTVAVI disappoints. This isn’t just another GTA game. It’s one that Rockstar is investing in for the foreseeable future with a budget that supposedly surpasses $1 billion. For any other piece of art, this would be an obscene price tag with no chance of turning a profit. Considering that GTA V grossed $1 billion in its first three days, though, GTA VI should have little trouble making its money back. Money doesn’t necessarily equal quality, but all signs are pointing to GTA VI being the franchise’s biggest and most ambitious entry yet… maybe to a fault? 

Rockstar is striving to make an open world so immersive that players will have to refuel cars. To some gamers, this is an example of GTA VI possibly being too realistic for its own good, sounding more like a life simulator than a fun experience. Then again, people had similar complaints about Red Dead Redemption 2 and its fast travel system. That didn’t prevent Red Dead Redemption 2 from becoming another massive hit for Rockstar. It even got nominated for GOTY, but it lost to God of War. Rockstar is still gunning for a GOTY Award. GTA VI may be their best chance yet, although if RDR2 proved anything, it’s that GOTY doesn’t always go to the biggest blockbuster. 

While it didn’t sell as many copies as GTA V, RDR2 still became one of the five best-selling games of all time. While God of War was another hot commodity, RDR2 sold almost four times as many copies. GTA VI may be RDR2 in this scenario, but that doesn’t mean Requiem is God of War. Santa Monica Studio completely reinvented its flagship franchise, from the gameplay, to the presentation, to its protagonist, not just breaking new ground for God of War, but the entire medium. As stellar as Requiem is, it wasn’t revolutionary. To be fair, I don’t think any game released in 2026 is on par with God of War. There is one other title that might be able to challenge GTA VI, however. 

It was surprising (yet not surprising at all) when Nintendo officially announced last June that a remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time would be released by the end of the year. Ocarina’s release date was later slated for November 5, two weeks ahead of GTA VI on November 19. It’s the gaming equivalent of The Odyssey releasing two weeks before Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Fans have been asking for an Ocarina remake almost as long as they’ve been demanding GTA VI. Nintendo seems to be giving fans what they want in spades, updating the graphics, polishing the controls, and introducing fully voiced cutscenes while still preserving what made its 1998 predecessor the gold standard. While time will only tell how close Ocarina is to the original, faithfulness could be a knock against it as far as GOTY is concerned. 

A remake has never won GOTY. A few have been nominated, including Final Fantasy VII Remake and the aforementioned Resident Evil titles. When it comes to the win, though, the Game Awards tend to favor innovation. 2017’s Breath of the Wild redefined what a Zelda game could be, winning GOTY as a result. Ocarina could just be seen as a fun nostalgia trip that takes us back to 1998 without bringing 1998 into 2026. Conversely, Ocarina could perfect what many already consider perfect, going down as a definitive version of a classic. Seeing how the Game Awards didn’t exist in 1998, this would also be a way to recognize one of the GOATs. Plus, in a market oversaturated with open-world games designed to keep us playing for hundreds of hours, a roughly 30-hour campaign can hit the spot. 

It should be noted that, as of writing, the Game Awards haven't officially announced their eligibility cutoff for 2026. Typically, though, it's sometime in November. This will put Ocarina and GTA VI right on the bubble. Ocarina is more than likely safe, coming out in early November. While GTA VI releases later in the month, I imagine the Game Awards will make accommodations to ensure it's eligible this year. Otherwise, GTA VI can always win in 2027.

There isn’t a world where GTA VI or Ocarina don’t make bank. I also have a hard time envisioning a world where reviews for each aren’t generally positive. Yet, there’s always an outside chance that they don’t get perfect 10s across the board. If either underperforms even slightly on the critical front, Requiem might have a path to GOTY. Until we get a chance to play November’s two biggest releases, though, that remains a big if. It might not win GOTY, but between Requiem, Zach Cregger’s film, and the franchise as a whole turning 30, 2026 still may go down as the year of Resident Evil. 

Nick Spake is the Author of Bright & Shiny: A History of Animation at Award Shows Volumes 1, 2, and 3. Available Now!