It has been reported that Rockstar Games has contacted a terminally ill ‘GTA‘ fan after hearing about the fan’s heartfelt public request to see if the company could allow him to play ‘GTA 6‘ before its scheduled release in November of 2026.
Anthony Armstrong, who works at Ubisoft Toronto as a UI Integrator, shared a LinkedIn post on behalf of his family member who has been fighting cancer for several years. Just recently, the doctors informed the family member that he has only six to twelve months left in his life, which has caused the family to worry that he may not have time left to play ‘Grand Theft Auto VI.‘
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Armstrong used his LinkedIn account to contact employees of Rockstar Games directly, explaining that his family is a lifelong fan of ‘Grand Theft Auto‘ and lives very close to Rockstar’s Oakville studio. Armstrong was allowed an absolute private early access play session, offered to sign a strict NDA if needed, and understood how secretive their company is.
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Armstrong’s original request quickly gained traction through both LinkedIn and numerous social media platforms, with strong showcases of support among both fans of Rockstar’s products and the gaming industry as a whole.
Armstrong later posted another update with news that Take-Two Interactive (parent company of Rockstar Games) CEO Strauss Zelnick reached out to him directly and conversations had begun with Rockstar. His final update said:
“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.”
Less than one week after the last update, Armstrong’s entire LinkedIn thread was deleted. Although many believe that the thread was removed due to NDA obligations, neither Rockstar nor Armstrong has confirmed this.
A Similar Thing Happened With ‘Red Dead Redemption 2’
There is no definitive proof that Rockstar Games or Take-Two Interactive has granted the recently deceased videogame enthusiast with an advance copy of ‘Grand Theft Auto VI.’ However, the indication within Armstrong’s last communication, as well as information coming from multiple reputable video game news sources, seems to suggest that Rockstar has been beneficial in some form.
If true, this would not be the first case of Rockstar Games providing a terminally ill individual access to an unreleased video game. Allegedly, Rockstar provided a terminally ill person with access to ‘Red Dead Redemption II‘ weeks prior to its public release.
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Rockstar, as well as other studios across the industry, have participated in this type of social outreach for videogame enthusiasts with terminal illnesses through a variety of means, including, but not limited to, early access to games, in-game memorials, and private events.
