In what’s turning out to be one of gaming’s most heartwarming stories of the year, Rockstar Games has apparently arranged early access to GTA 6 for a terminally ill fan.
The touching request came from Anthony Armstrong, a UI Integrator at Ubisoft Toronto, who reached out to his colleagues at Rockstar on behalf of a family member battling cancer.
According to Armstrong’s now-deleted LinkedIn post, his relative had just received devastating news, where doctors gave them approximately six to twelve months to live. What made the situation even more tragic is that Armstrong’s relative is a massive GTA fan, but realistically might not survive long enough to see the scheduled GTA 6 launch on Nov. 19, 2026. That’s when the Ubisoft dev decided to reach out directly.
“The reason I am reaching out is that they are a huge GTA fan, and with this latest update, he may not be around long enough to actually get to see GTA 6 launch,” Armstrong wrote in his appeal, adding that his family member lives close to Rockstar’s Oakville studio.
What happened next shows the human side of the gaming industry. Take-Two Interactive’s CEO personally got involved and reached out to Armstrong. His final update said, “We spoke to them today and received great news. That’s all I can disclose at this time, but thank you all from the bottom of my heart.”
This isn’t the first time Rockstar has done something like this. Years ago, the company allowed another terminally ill fan to play Red Dead Redemption 2 early.
Last year, Gearbox Software flew out a cancer-diagnosed fan to experience Borderlands 4 before launch. It’s a beautiful reminder that, despite being massive corporations focused on profit, gaming companies still recognize that making someone’s final wishes come true matters.
The story also highlights just how much anticipation surrounds GTA 6. The gap between Grand Theft Auto 5 and its sequel has been thirteen years, the longest wait the franchise has ever had. The new game, set in the fictional state of Leonida, will feature dual protagonists Jason and Lucia in what’s shaping up to be an absolutely massive release.
Will GTA 6 face another delay?
Here’s where things get interesting. GTA 6 has already been postponed twice. First from Fall 2025 to May 2026, and then again to November 2026. Take-Two cited the need for “additional time to finish the game with the high level of polish players expect.”
While there’s been industry chatter about the possibility of another delay, Rockstar and Take-Two have maintained Nov. 19, 2026 as the official launch date. Unless something dramatic happens during final development, don’t expect any more postponements.
