A terminally ill fan of the Grand Theft Auto series has reportedly been given early access to the upcoming GTA 6 after a family member appealed to developer Rockstar Games. The game is not due for release until November 2026, leaving the fan with a limited timeframe to play it.
Anthony Armstrong, a developer at Ubisoft, made the plea on LinkedIn in December on behalf of his family member, who had been given six to 12 months to live. In a since-deleted post, he wrote: 'The reason I am reaching out is that they are a huge GTA fan and, with this latest update, he may not be around long enough to actually get to see GTA 6 launch.' He added that the fan might pass away the same month the game is released.
In a later update, Mr Armstrong 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.' Rockstar has not officially commented on the matter, but the post suggests the company granted the wish.
This is not the first time Rockstar has accommodated a terminally ill fan. In 2018, a man with neurofibromatosis type 2 was allowed to play Red Dead Redemption 2 weeks before its launch after his father reached out. Two Rockstar employees brought a private demo to his home.
GTA 6 is one of the most anticipated games in history, with its first trailer released in December 2023 after leaked clips. Originally slated for 2025, delays pushed the official release to 19 November 2026.
