With the official release date of November 19, 2026, slowly creeping closer, anticipation for Grand Theft Auto VI is reaching fever pitch. While most gamers are either booking time off work or googling mysterious illnesses they might be able to convince their boss they have, the army have taken a slightly different approach. Knowing that some soldiers may be hardcore GTA fans, they have a cunning plan that benefits the army and gamers alike.

A post on X from Variety magazine is causing quite a stir. It’s the kind of post you read and wonder whether it can be believed or not. In a rather cunning move, the U.S. Army’s 3rd Infantry Division based at Fort Stewart, Georgia has a unique offer for their soldiers. They will indeed grant any soldier four days off to play Grand Theft Auto VI at launch as long as they commit to at least two more years serving their country. An easy trade for most and an excellent way to take full advantage of the most exciting gaming launch of the decade.

It sounds like a mission pulled straight from Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories and I’m sure Vic Vance would be proud to be playing the latest Grand Theft Auto game in his downtime on Fort Baxter. A spokesperson for the 3rd Infantry Division, Lt. Col. Angel Tomko, had this to say about the unique offer:

The idea was to have a unique incentives program that connects to what soldiers are interested in

And so far it’s been reasonably successful. Out of the 130 soldiers on the base, 20 have taken the offer and re-enlisted for an additional two years just for the chance to get some time off to play Grand Theft Auto VI on launch day. How far would you go for Grand Theft Auto VI? The thoughts of a two-year commitment seem extreme when we can all just continue to play GTA Online instead, well beyond the launch of GTA 6.

The responses on X don’t pull any punches either. Some love the idea, while others feel it’s a bit extreme to enlist soldiers for two more years in exchange for four days off. One response was the following:

Four days off for GTA 6? 😂 The Army really knows how to make a reenlistment offer tempting. 🎮

While another recommended the Lieutenant for a cameo:

I’m starting to think the lieutenant colonel just wants his own NPC in GTA VI 😂🐹

“Four days off for GTA VI” is already one hell of a recruitment pitch.

Rockstar, give the man a cameo.

Re-enlistment incentives are fairly routine for the US army, but having one tied around the launch of Grand Theft Auto VI feels particularly satisfying for gamers who happen to be soldiers. If you’ve managed to ignore the leaks for Grand Theft Auto VI so far, then we have an exciting reveal to look forward to on Netflix on August 27, 2026. While we’re not certain all gamers are committed to serving their country jsut for a chance to drive around Leonidas, we’re sure quite a few will be inexplicably missing from their places of work on November 19, 2026. Grand Theft Auto VI fever is about to break out!