A unit within the U.S. army is providing an incentive to soldiers who choose to re-enlist by offering them an additional four days off coinciding with the launch of the highly anticipated video game, Grand Theft Auto VI in November. The 9th Brigade Engineer Battalion, stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia, believes that granting soldiers time to immerse themselves in the new installment of the Grand Theft Auto series, known for its car thefts, police confrontations, and daring heists, will persuade them to extend their service.
The release of Grand Theft Auto VI on November 19 is anticipated to be a significant entertainment event of the year. Take-Two Interactive, the game publisher, has not disclosed pre-order sales figures but its CEO, Strauss Zelnick, described them as “unprecedented and astonishing.”
A career advisor within the army engineer battalion collaborated with the unit’s leaders to link a retention benefit to the launch of the game, aiming to prompt soldiers about their upcoming re-enlistment deadlines, according to Lt. Col. Angel Tomko, a spokesperson for Fort Stewart. The concept was to create a unique rewards program aligned with soldiers’ interests, as stated by Tomko.
Soldiers who opt to renew their contracts by November 14 will be granted a “special four-day pass,” as outlined in a memorandum from battalion commanders. Lt. Col. Ryan Hodgson, the battalion commander, specified that this pass is strategically timed with the eagerly awaited debut of Grand Theft Auto VI.
Tomko validated the validity of the memo dated July 28, which was captured in a photo and shared online. She mentioned that out of 130 eligible soldiers, around 20 have already taken advantage of the bonus offer, contingent on committing to an additional two years of military service.
Excitement for Grand Theft Auto VI has been escalating since 2023 when its initial cinematic trailer teased a return to the fictitious Vice City, a satirical version of Miami, along with an expanded range of Florida-based settings including alligator-filled swamps. In a demonstration of the game’s popularity, Rockstar Games, the developer, plans to unveil gameplay footage in an extended trailer on Netflix next week, following a premature leak of what appears to be game content by hackers earlier this week.