Rockstar Games Reportedly Gives Terminally Ill Fan Early Access to GTA 6

Rockstar Games has reportedly granted a terminally ill fan early access to Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA 6). The gesture followed a viral social media campaign started by the fan’s family to fulfill one of his final wishes.

The story began in late 2025 when Anthony Armstrong, a developer at Ubisoft Toronto, shared a post on LinkedIn. He explained that a close family member had been battling cancer for years and was given a prognosis of six to twelve months to live.

Armstrong said the family member was a lifelong fan of the Grand Theft Auto series. With GTA 6 set to release on November 19, 2026, the family feared he would not live long enough to play the game.

In his post, Armstrong noted that the fan lived very close to Rockstar’s Oakville studio. He asked if anyone could help arrange a private playtest so the fan could experience the game before passing.

The post quickly spread across platforms like X and Reddit. Thousands of users tagged Rockstar Games and its parent company, Take-Two Interactive, asking them to notice the request.

Armstrong later shared updates confirming that Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick personally contacted the family. In a final update, Armstrong said the family had received “great news” after speaking with Rockstar, though details could not be shared due to confidentiality agreements.

While Rockstar has not made a public statement, multiple sources and the family’s update suggest a private session was arranged. This allowed the fan to see or play an early version of GTA 6.

This is not the first time Rockstar has done something similar. In 2018, the studio granted a terminally ill fan early access to Red Dead Redemption 2. Other game companies have also honored fans in special ways, including early access or in-game tributes.

For the wider public, GTA 6 remains on track for its planned release later next year.