US Army is enticing reenlistments with a 4-day pass to play GTA 6 when it drops in November
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A US Army unit at Fort Stewart in Georgia is offering soldiers a four-day pass to play Grand Theft Auto 6 upon its launch as an incentive to reenlist, according to a CBS News report. In exchange, soldiers must commit to a further two to six years of service, a trade-off that has drawn criticism given that the game's vast scope is unlikely to be experienced fully in just four days.
Twenty soldiers from the Army's 9th Brigade Engineering Battalion, part of the 3rd Infantry Division, have already signed up under the scheme ahead of the game's release on 19 November. Lieutenant Colonel Angel Tomko, a division spokesperson, said the initiative aimed to link reenlistment incentives to soldiers' actual interests, working with career counsellors to boost engagement. The move follows a long history of military perks such as tuition funding to encourage enlistment, and reflects a wider trend of targeting gamers as warfare itself becomes increasingly technology-driven.
- Army offers four-day GTA 6 pass for two-to-six-year reenlistment
- Twenty Fort Stewart soldiers have already taken the deal
- Part of a broader push to tie incentives to soldiers' interests
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The scheme centres on Fort Stewart, a US Army base in Georgia, where officers are offering soldiers extra time off specifically to play Grand Theft Auto 6 when the hugely anticipated video game launches. In return, soldiers must agree to stay in the Army for another two to six years, tying a leisure perk to a long-term service commitment.
Reenlistment incentives are nothing new for the US military, which has long used benefits such as help with tuition fees to persuade soldiers to sign on for further years. This latest scheme reflects a wider effort to appeal directly to service members' personal interests, including gaming, at a time when the armed forces face ongoing challenges attracting and retaining recruits.
Grand Theft Auto 6 is one of the most eagerly awaited game releases in years, developed by Rockstar Games and due out on 19 November. Its scale and popularity are central to why the offer has drawn attention, since critics question whether four days is anywhere near enough time to explore a game of that size.
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