A U.S. military unit at Fort Stewart, Georgia, is enticing its soldiers to re-enlist by offering a unique bonus. The soldiers who commit to extending their military service will receive four additional days off coinciding with the launch of the highly anticipated video game, Grand Theft Auto VI.
The 9th Brigade Engineer Battalion commanders believe that granting soldiers leisure time to immerse themselves in the latest installment of the Grand Theft Auto series, known for its carjackings, police shootouts, and daring heists, will persuade them to prolong their military obligations.
Scheduled for release on November 19, Grand Theft Auto VI is anticipated to be a major entertainment event of the year. Take-Two Interactive, the game publisher, has not disclosed pre-order sales figures but CEO Strauss Zelnick described them as “unprecedented and astonishing.”
According to Lt. Col. Angel Tomko, a spokesperson for Fort Stewart, a career counselor at the army engineer battalion proposed linking a retention incentive to the game’s launch to serve as a reminder for soldiers approaching their re-enlistment deadlines.
The innovative incentives program aims to align with soldiers’ interests, as stated by Tomko in a statement to The Associated Press on Thursday.
Soldiers in the battalion were informed through a memo that those who renew their contracts by November 14 will be granted “a special four-day pass” timed with the Grand Theft Auto VI release. The memo, dated July 28 and verified by Tomko, outlined the conditions for the bonus, requiring soldiers to commit to an additional two years of service.
Approximately 20 out of 130 eligible soldiers have already signed up for the bonus offer. Grand Theft Auto VI has been generating excitement since 2023, with its initial cinematic trailer showcasing a return to the fictional Vice City, a satirical representation of Miami, and an expanded range of Florida-based settings, including alligator-infested swamps.
The anticipation for Grand Theft Auto VI escalated when developer Rockstar Games announced plans to unveil gameplay footage in an extended trailer on Netflix. However, the release was prematurely impacted by hackers leaking supposed gameplay videos online this week.