A special incentive is being offered to U.S. army personnel by a unit for re-enlisting promptly, providing four additional days off coinciding with the release of Grand Theft Auto VI in November. The 9th Brigade Engineer Battalion at Fort Stewart, Ga., believes that offering leisure time for soldiers to enjoy the latest installment of the popular video game series will influence some to prolong their military service.

Set to launch on November 19, Grand Theft Auto VI is anticipated to be a major entertainment event of the year. Take-Two Interactive, the game publisher, has not disclosed pre-order sales figures but described them as “unprecedented and astonishing,” according to CEO Strauss Zelnick.

It was revealed that a career counselor within the army engineer battalion collaborated with commanding officers to link a retention bonus to the upcoming game release. Lt. Col. Angel Tomko, a spokesperson for Fort Stewart, mentioned that the unique incentives program was designed to align with soldiers’ interests and remind them of their re-enlistment deadlines.

Soldiers within the battalion were informed via a memo that those who re-enlist by November 14 will be granted a “special four-day pass” tailored to coincide with the Grand Theft Auto VI release. Confirming the authenticity of the memo dated July 28, Tomko stated that at least 20 out of 130 eligible soldiers have opted for the bonus, contingent on committing to an additional two years of service.

Grand Theft Auto VI has been generating excitement since 2023 when its initial cinematic trailer hinted at a return to the fictional Vice City, a satirical representation of Miami, along with expanded Florida-based settings including gator-filled swamps. Amid the anticipation, developer Rockstar Games is planning to unveil gameplay footage in an upcoming extended trailer on Netflix, following a premature leak of apparent footage by hackers earlier this week.