Rockstar Games has reportedly given a terminally ill GTA franchise fan access to GTA 6.
A heartfelt gesture by Rockstar Games
It wouldn't be wrong to say that Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6) is one of the most anticipated games of all time. Its developer and publisher, Rockstar Games, shared last month that the game will release on November 19, 2026. However, a terminally ill fan has most likely received early access to the game before anyone else.
The story starts back in December last year, when Anthony Armstrong, a UI Integrator at Ubisoft Toronto, made a heartfelt plea on LinkedIn. He mentioned that one of his family members, who is a huge GTA franchise fan, has been fighting cancer for multiple years. However, he recently received the unpleasant news that this family member has only 6 to 12 months left to live, according to the doctors.
Rockstar Games accepted a terminally ill fan’s wish to play GTA 6 early after a family member publicly shared his story. pic.twitter.com/xIyBqMhRX7
The November release window means that the fan might not be able to try it out after so many years of waiting, as he might not survive until then. Armstrong asked if any of his LinkedIn connections could help him contact Rockstar Games to arrange something for the patient.
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Weeks later, Armstrong updated the post, mentioning that he had been reached out to by the CEO of Take-Two (the parent company of Rockstar Games). They are waiting for a response from the Rockstar Games team to confirm whether they could arrange something. Later, a final update was made to the post by Armstrong, in which he stated, “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.” This statement suggests that Rockstar Games might have given that terminally ill fan early access to GTA 6 under an NDA (non-disclosure agreement).
It's quite understandable that more details can't be shared since the game isn't out yet. However, I'm curious which version of the game the fan got to play. That's because Jason Schreier, who primarily covers the video game industry for Bloomberg, mentioned on a recent Button Mash Podcast that GTA 6 isn't fully ready. According to him, the developers are still working on the levels and missions, in addition to polishing the overall game.
Credit where credit is due
Jason and Lucia in the GTA 6 logo. | Image by Rockstar Games
Being a smartphone-focused website, we don't commonly share stories from the gaming industry. But such an act of kindness is definitely worth covering so more gamers can know about it and appreciate Rockstar Games' for it. Interestingly, this isn't the first time the gaming company has done something like that.
Back in 2018, the father of a terminally ill child asked Rockstar Games if it could let his son play Red Dead Redemption 2 before anyone else. A few days later, two Rockstar employees visited the family's home and allowed the child to play a pre-release version of the game for a few hours.
Bethesda Game Studios has also received a lot of appreciation in the past for honoring its fans in its games. According to a Reddit user named HunterWorld, the game Starfield reportedly contains a note from a fan named Alex Hay, who passed away before the game was released.
Aman Kumar is a tech news writer with a long-standing passion for smartphones. Aman specializes in everything smartphones, from AI features like Pixel’s Camera Coach to understanding ideal hardware combinations. He loves breaking down complex features in a simple, clear way and hopes manufacturers bring back bold designs like the Nokia N-Gage. When he’s not writing, he’s either gaming on PUBG or talking fitness as a dedicated gym enthusiast.
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