GTA 6 could be the US Army’s newest reenlistment incentive

As GTA 6 approaches, a unit in the US Army has extended an offer to soldiers who are coming up to their re-enlistment in the armed forces.

The latest instalment in the Grand Theft Auto series is one of the most anticipated video game releases out there, with developers Rock Star releasing teasers of the open world game to fans.

Despite its name the upcoming game is actually set to be the eighth in the main Grand Theft Auto series, as in addition to Grand Theft Auto through to Grand Theft Auto V, there was also 2002's Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and 2004's Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

And one unit in the US Army has taken advantage of the huge anticipation building up to the game's release by offering soliders four days of leave to play the game, if they re-enlist.

Lt. Col. Angel Tomko is a spokesperson for the 3rd Infantry Division, and told CBS News: "The idea was to have a unique incentives program that connects to what soldiers are interested in. The command team, in conjunction with the career counselor, wanted to get soldiers excited to reenlist."

The battalion deployed the measure to entice soliders to re-enlist (Klaudia Radecka/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

A memo from the US Army extending the offer has been shared widely online, and explains that any soldier who signs a contract to re-enlist between August 1 and November 14 2026 will be eligible for the four days of leave to play the game.

The game itself is currently scheduled for release in November 2026, and previews and leaks have already been circulating on the internet as excitement reaches fever pitch.

"This special pass is specifically designated to coincide with the highly anticipated release of the video game Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA 6)," said the memo.

There are some other eligibility criteria as well though.

Personnel need to be active-duty enlisted personnel in this battalion who will be eligible, or due, to sign a contract for re-enlistment between those specific dates.

And it's not just enough to sign on the dotted line - personnel need to re-enlist for at least two years of service if they want to qualify for the offer, though contracts can be for up to six years.

Personnel must re-enlist for at least two years (Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Speaking to The Independent, Lt. Col. Tomko said: "The command team thinks eligible soldiers are more aware that they are in their window for reenlistment and engage their leadership and the career counselor earlier to see available opportunities."

He explained that the incentive was introduced after the suggestion of more creative incentives to persuade people to re-enlist after serving out their initial term, with the aim of getting the battalion to reach its targets for re-enlistment in the fiscal year.

GTA VI has been highly anticipated, with gamers excited about the prospect of the latest in the iconic series of video games. These are known for their highly detailed open world gameplay in which players can explore a city freely as part of its criminal underworld.

The first Grand Theft Auto games were 2D with a top-down view, and it wasn't until 2001's Grand Theft Auto III that it moved into a 3D environment, which has continued in each game since.