18 January 2026

Terminally Ill GTA 6 Fan Might Get to Play the Game Early

By newsgame

Rockstar may be giving a terminally ill fan a special chance to play Grand Theft Auto 6, months before the game is scheduled to officially release. The open-world epic from Rockstar Games arguably stands among the most highly anticipated releases in gaming history, with the game being teased by the developer for years. Rockstar finally confirmed GTA 6 in 2022 and debuted the first official trailer for the game in December 2023, which subsequently smashed through YouTube records and became the biggest premiere of a non-music video ever. However, the game has taken a long road to get to its current November release date.

GTA 6‘s status as one of gaming’s most hotly anticipated titles comes as the game has been subject to numerous delays throughout its life. The reveal trailers for Grand Theft Auto 6 teased the game as releasing in 2025, with Rockstar first officially pushing back its release date to May 2026. The developer later moved the game’s launch back even further, currently set to launch on November 19 after a wave of firings and employee protests at Rockstar. However, a recent exchange with an Ubisoft Toronto employee on LinkedIn suggests that one particular fan may get a chance to try out GTA 6 early.

GTA 6 Online could support 32-player lobbies

Court Documents Suggest GTA 6 Online Could Have 32-Player Lobbies

Court documents from Rockstar’s ongoing union lawsuit seem to reveal that Grand Theft Auto 6’s online component will support 32-player lobbies.

Rockstar May Let a Terminally Ill Fan Play GTA 6 Early

Recent LinkedIn posts from Ubisoft Toronto employee Anthony Armstrong have shared the story of a terminally ill family member. In his posts, Armstrong reached out to any Rockstar employees about a member of his family who has been battling cancer and was recently given a diagnosis of only 6 to 12 months to live. Armstrong spoke about how the family member is a “huge GTA fan” and likely will not live long enough to see GTA 6 fully released, asking to set up an exclusive playtest under an NDA. Later updates from Armstrong revealed that he had been in contact with the CEO of GTA publisher Take-Two, with another saying they had received “great news” from the Rockstar team. The posts have since been deleted from LinkedIn.

While the post is no longer able to be viewed on LinkedIn, a portion of it is still cached within Google’s search engine.

The deletion of the posts likely suggests that Armstrong was successful in arranging an exclusive playtest of GTA 6 for the ill family member. This would not be the first time Rockstar has arranged a similar situation, with a terminally ill fan being given the chance to play Red Dead Redemption 2 before launch. The gaming industry has often seen developers extend similar opportunities to those suffering from terminal illnesses, including one fan getting to play Borderlands 4 early, nearly a year before its official release.

GTA 6 is One of Gaming’s Biggest Stories, For Better or Worse

The feel-good story from Rockstar comes as a bright spot for the studio after a controversial end to the year. The previously mentioned firings saw Rockstar receiving quite a bit of backlash from fans and former employees, with even the UK’s Prime Minister weighing in on the Rockstar situation. Rumors of another delay have also swirled around Grand Theft Auto 6, though a former Rockstar developer has warned that further setbacks could threaten to kill the excitement for the game. Rockstar has not officially alluded to any new delays for GTA 6 yet, though the game’s current release date is still 10 months away.

GTA 6 Has Joined an Exclusive Club Well Before Its Official Release Date

The upcoming launch of GTA 6 has caused plenty of different developers within the industry to adjust their plans around the game. Sony is reportedly treating GTA 6 like a PS5 exclusive ahead of its launch, planning and moving its major releases to accommodate. Many smaller studios have also suggested that they are planning their release schedule around Grand Theft Auto 6‘s debut, trying to avoid their new releases having to compete with such a massive launch. GTA 6‘s release is set to be one of the most monumental events in the gaming industry, and many developers are moving to accommodate.