Grand Theft Auto VI cover art. (Rockstar Games)
One unit in the United States Army is offering their troops a little incentive for reenlisting, particularly for those who are gamers.
The 9th Brigade Engineer Battalion in Fort Stewart, Georgia, is offering soldiers who sign their reenlistment contracts "a special 4 day pass" in November, giving them four full, uncut days to dive into the long-awaited Grand Theft Auto 6.
The backstory:
The idea of the free pass came from a battalion engineer, who thought it would be a great retention perk for soldiers, perhaps swaying them to extend their military commitments, while also serving as a reminder of their impending reenlistment dates, an Army spokesperson said.
What they're saying:
Commanders confirmed the authenticity of the memo, which was posted online, saying, "This special pass is specifically designed to coincide with the highly anticipated release of the video game Grand Theft Auto VI," battalion commander Lt. Col. Ryan Hodgson wrote.
Timeline:
The deadline for the soldiers to resign their contract and receive the bonus ends November 14. Just in time for the release of the game, which drops November 19.
GTA 6 ‘Extended Look’ available Thursday
What we know:
Rockstar Games will be debuting "Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look" on Thursday, August 27 at 3 p.m. ET on Netflix. Fans will also have the opportunity to view it on the Rockstar Games’ YouTube channel and on the Grand Theft Auto VI website later in the evening at 9 p.m.
The backstory:
The first Grand Theft Auto hit store shelves back in 1997. The last installment, Grand Theft Auto V, released over a decade ago in 2013, broke video game records around the world in terms of sales and users. Since then, fans all over have been left to gripe about delays in the return of the popular franchise.
Why you should care:
The window to preorder your copy of GTA 6 began in June with the digital version at $79.99 for Standard and $99.99 for the Ultimate Edition.
The Source: This story was written with information provided by The Associated Press and previous reporting by LiveNOW from FOX. This story was reported from Orlando.