A flyer attributed to the 9th Engineer Battalion at Fort Stewart promises a four-day pass for GTA 6's launch to soldiers who reenlist. Its authenticity is unconfirmed.
Photo: Rockstar Games
Sources ign.com · fr.ign.com · variety.com
A sheet of paper is circulating online, and it is about GTA 6. According to IGN, first spotted by the Instagram page "US Army WTF! Moments", a flyer attributed to the 9th Engineer Battalion at Fort Stewart, Georgia, offers a "four-day pass" to any soldier who reenlists between August 1 and November 14. The stated aim: to promote retention, boost morale and reward soldiers.
Per IGN, the leave is "specifically designated to coincide" with Grand Theft Auto VI's release, with exact dates settled between the soldier and the chain of command. The document carries the supposed signature of Lt. Col. Ryan D. Hodgson. IGN France covers it with a line I will not argue with: "That is management." Variety adds a point that matters: the commitment would be for at least two years.
Neither the battalion nor the US Army has confirmed the document is genuine, notes IGN. Opinions are split but lean towards real: IGN relays Kotaku's check that the signatory's name belongs to a lieutenant colonel who took command of the battalion in July 2026. On Reddit, veterans recall the army has run odd recruitment incentives before, while criticising the memo's formatting. Until there is official confirmation, we treat it as an unauthenticated document.
One detail worth noting: the flyer mentions days off from November 20 to 23, 2026, while Rockstar gives the release as the 19th. One day apart, perhaps explained by travel time or a weekend, but that is only our guess. The army has used unusual perks to retain soldiers before, and a video game release is an unusually precise date to build one around.
Release remains November 19, 2026 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, with preload from November 12. The game is rated PEGI 18 and costs €79.99 standard, €99.99 Ultimate. No PC version has been announced. The military anecdote got no official follow-up from Rockstar.
Nothing for the game, a lot for its status: when an employer plans leave around a release date, GTA 6 has become an event bigger than video games. The community Wall is already talking about it.
Sources ign.com · fr.ign.com · variety.com
By Chloé · VI Countdown newsroom, OKALAM Studio