U.S. army unit offers re-enlistment bonus: 4 days off to play Grand Theft Auto

Bonus offer was cooked up by career counsellor and Army commanders

A U.S. army unit is offering its troops a special bonus if they re-enlist soon: four extra days off timed around the November release of the video game Grand Theft Auto VI.

Commanders of the 9th Brigade Engineer Battalion based at Fort Stewart, Ga., say free time to indulge in the latest entry in the Grand Theft Auto series — in which players commit carjackings, battle police in shootouts and attempt audacious heists — will sway some soldiers to extend their military commitments.

The Nov. 19 release of Grand Theft Auto VI is expected to be one of the year's biggest entertainment events. Game publisher Take-Two Interactive hasn't released sales figures for pre-orders, but CEO Strauss Zelnick recently called them "unprecedented and astonishing."

A career counsellor with the army engineer battalion hatched the idea with commanders to tie a retention perk to the game's release, in part to remind soldiers of their approaching re-enlistment dates, said Lt. Col. Angel Tomko, a Fort Stewart spokesperson.

"The idea was to have a unique incentives program that connects to what soldiers are interested in," Tomko said Thursday in a statement to The Associated Press.

Battalion commanders wrote in a memo to soldiers that those who sign re-enlistment contracts by Nov. 14 would receive "a special four-day pass."

"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.

Tomko confirmed the authenticity of the July 28 memo, which was photographed and posted online.

She said at least 20 of 130 eligible soldiers have signed up for the bonus. To qualify, they must commit to serving at least two more years in uniform.

Buzz for Grand Theft Auto VI has been building since 2023, when its first cinematic trailer showed a return to the fictional Vice City — a satirical analogue of Miami — and an expanded swath of Florida-based locales that include gator-infested swamps.

Underscoring the hype, developer Rockstar Games plans to debut gameplay video next week in an extended trailer on Netflix. The rollout was pre-empted when hackers leaked apparent footage online this week.