Rockstar Games has reportedly given early access to Grand Theft Auto VI for a terminally ill fan who was tragically given just months to live after battling cancer for years.
The individual is a family member of Ubisoft Toronto developer Anthony Armstrong, who posted on LinkedIn back in December 2025 that their relative “just recently got the worst possible news, he was given 6-12 months to live.” They’re also a huge fan of Grand Theft Auto, and as such Armstrong asked if it was possible for their family member to be granted early access to an exclusive playtest, noting they may not live to see GTA VI’s release.
Armstrong followed this up with a post a few weeks later confirming that the CEO of Take-Two had been in touch, and that they were waiting to hear from the Rockstar team “to discuss this further.” Another update followed, with Armstrong stating, “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.”
Sure enough, it looks as if Rockstar has granted the family member access to GTA VI early. This isn’t the first time that something like has happened, either. Gearbox was able to give a terminally ill Borderlands fan the chance to play an early version of Borderlands 4 prior to its release, and Rockstar itself also allowed early access to Red Dead Redemption 2 for a young gamer, Jurian, who suffered from neurofibromatosis type 2.
Grand Theft Auto VI is scheduled for release on November 19, 2026 on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
[Source – LinkedIn via Insider Gaming]