Rockstar Games and its parent company, Take-Two Interactive, have reportedly granted a terminally ill fan early access to Grand Theft Auto 6, one of the most anticipated video games scheduled for release in 2026.
The story was first shared through LinkedIn posts by Anthony Armstrong, a User Interface Integrator at Ubisoft. Armstrong reached out to his professional network seeking contacts at Rockstar Games to help fulfil a final wish for a family member who has been battling cancer.
In his original post, Armstrong wrote that his relative had recently received devastating news and was given an estimated 6 to 12 months to live. He explained that the family member might not survive long enough to see the official release of Grand Theft Auto 6.
Rockstar has scheduled the game to launch on November 19, 2026. Armstrong asked whether the company might be willing to arrange a private playtest, noting that his family member lived close to Rockstar’s Oakville studio and was willing to sign a non-disclosure agreement.
The request gained widespread support from the gaming community. Armstrong later updated his post with positive news, writing, “Final update: We spoke to them today and received great news. That’s all I can really share.”
He also confirmed that Strauss Zelnick, the CEO of Take-Two Interactive, personally contacted him regarding the situation.
Following increased media attention, Armstrong deleted the original LinkedIn posts and issued a follow-up statement requesting privacy. He clarified that he had not given permission for news outlets to link to his profile and asked the public to respect his family’s privacy during this difficult period.
“Although the news was wonderful, this is still a very difficult time for us, which we had not intended to make public,” Armstrong said.