Rockstar Games has reportedly granted Grand Theft Auto VI early access to a fan facing a terminal illness.
According to Insider Gaming, a LinkedIn post published in December by Ubisoft Toronto developer Anthony Armstrong struck an emotional chord, as he revealed that a family member's long battle with cancer had reached a critical stage, with doctors giving only months to live.
Armstrong said the family member had long been an avid GTA follower, but the prognosis meant the person was unlikely to live long enough to play Grand Theft Auto VI. GTA 6 is expected to be launched in November 2026.
He later confirmed that contact had been made with Rockstar Games, describing the outcome as “great news” and expressing gratitude to the company.
“To any of my connections at Rockstar Games and Rockstar Toronto, or anyone else who may be able to help. A member of my family who has been battling cancer for years just recently got the worst possible news: he was given 6 – 12 months to live,” Armstrong wrote in a now-deleted post.
“The reason I'm reaching out is that they are a huge GTA fan and, with this latest update, they may not be around long enough to actually get to see GTA 6 launch. Best-case scenario, he will be leaving us the same month it does. He currently lives only a stone's throw from the Oakville studio, so it's my hope that one of you may be able to set up an exclusive playtest so he can have a chance to experience the game before passing.”
“I absolutely understand the need for secrecy at this point of development, so at the very least an NDA is probably needed.”
After a few weeks, he updated the LinkedIn post by writing, “The CEO of Take-Two reached out, and we are just waiting to hear from the Rockstar team to discuss this further. Thank you to everyone who has shown support, reshared, and reached out to your contacts for us.”
He also added, “Final Update: We spoke to them today and got great news. That's all I can really say, but thank you all from the bottom of my heart.”
While the claim has resonated strongly online, Rockstar Games has not publicly confirmed or denied the reports.
If the reports are indeed true, it won't be the first instance when Rockstar Games has granted such a request.
In 2018, a terminally ill player was given advance access to Red Dead Redemption 2, weeks before its official release. Elsewhere in the industry, Bethesda Game Studios has paid tribute to fans by memorialising them in games, including Fallout 4 and Starfield.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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