Soldiers at Fort Stewart, Georgia, are being offered an unusual reason to sign back up for more years in the Army: four days off specifically around the release of Grand Theft Auto VI. It’s not a bonus check or extra vacation days for the holidays; it’s a leave seemingly built entirely around the most anticipated video game of all time.
According to CBS News, the offer comes from Fort Stewart, Georgia, and it’s available to 130 eligible soldiers who commit to at least two more years of service. Task & Purpose and Military.com first confirmed the U.S. Army letter.
Reenlistment incentives are nothing new for the military, but they’re usually a lot less specific than “go play a video game for four days.” This one leans directly into just how big a deal GTA 6’s launch has become, both inside and outside the barracks.
Given the size of GTA 6’s fanbase and the money already tied up in it, the Army’s bet that soldiers would care enough to reenlist over it isn’t as strange as it sounds.
The Specifics of the Deal
Any soldier who signs a reenlistment contract for two years between August 1 and November 14 qualifies for the special four-day pass. The exact days off will be coordinated between each soldier and their chain of command, but they’re meant to line up with GTA 6’s official release.
Rockstar Games has set that release for November 19, after years of delays and speculation. The Army confirmed to CBS News that about 130 soldiers in the battalion are currently eligible, and a spokesperson for the 3rd Infantry Division said 20 of them had already taken the deal.
Grand Theft Auto VI Comes With an Enormous Amount of Hype
It’s hard to overstate how big this release actually is. Grand Theft Auto V, the previous entry in the series, has pulled in more than $10 billion since it launched in 2013, making it one of the most profitable entertainment products ever released in any medium.
GTA 6 is set in the fictional state of Leonida, a Florida-inspired setting that includes a reimagined version of Vice City from previous titles. Preorders opened back in June, with prices running from $79.99 for the standard edition up to $99.99 for a version that includes bonus vehicles, weapons, and extra missions.
It’s All About Meeting Soldiers Where They’re At
According to Variety, Lt. Col. Angel Tomko, a spokesperson for the 3rd Infantry Division, said the idea came from a new career counselor within the unit who pitched it as a way to connect with what soldiers were actually interested in. The battalion is working toward reenlistment goals for the next fiscal year.
This wasn’t the first creative approach the division has tried. Tomko pointed to past reenlistment ceremonies held on the beaches of Tybee Island, in Savannah’s Forsyth Park, and even on top of tanks and helicopters as examples of the unit thinking outside the box to get soldiers to stay in.
People Online Take a Side
Commenters reacting to the news weren’t necessarily sold on the timeline. One joked that soldiers should brace for Rockstar to push the release date back yet again, the way the game’s launch has already shifted before.
Another pointed out that between the download size and an inevitable day-one patch, four days might not even be enough time to actually start playing. Whether the four-day pass actually moves the needle on the reenlistment numbers remains to be seen, but it’s already garnered more attention than most bonus checks ever do.