US Army Battalion Reportedly Giving Soldiers Time Off to Play GTA 6 in Exchange for Reenlisting

A battalion in the United States Army is reportedly offering soldiers four days off to let them play Grand Theft Auto 6 when it releases this November if they reenlist.

As first spotted by the ‘US Army WTF! Moments’ Instagram page, a flyer from the 9th Engineer Battalion in Fort Stewart, Georgia is advertising some very specific vacation days around the launch date of Grand Theft Auto 6.

The flyer, supposedly signed by one commanding officer Lt. Col. Ryan D. Hodgson, announced a “special reenlistment incentive” — a four-day pass to play GTA 6.

As explained in the flyer, this incentive was created to “promote retention, boost morale, and reward the continued dedication of the Soldiers within the 9th Brigade Engineer Battalion.” Basically, it’s a perk designed to persuade soldiers to reenlist, hoping they’ll sign a new contract to extend their service.

According to the flyer, any eligible soldier who reenlists between August 1 and November 14 will get authorized for the pass, which is “specifically designated to coincide with the highly anticipated release of the video game Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA 6).”

While the exact dates of the pass must be hashed out between specific soldiers and their chain of command, they will align with GTA’s official release date from November 20 - 23, 2026.

Thus far, neither the specific battalion mentioned in the flyer nor the US Army itself has confirmed its authenticity, leaving both veterans and active-duty members split as to whether or not it’s legit.

However, commenters across social media are leaning toward it being real, with Kotaku confirming that the name of the commanding officer who signed the flyer belongs to a real Lieutenant Colonel who assumed command of the Fort Stewart Battalion in July 2026. Over on Reddit, army vets noted that the US Army has launched similar campaigns in an effort to drive up recruitment numbers in the past, though the formatting of the flyer itself caught major flak from those experienced with writing such memos.

The hype around GTA 6 is real; in fact, Rockstar Games even partnered with Netflix to showcase an exclusive preview of the game on its platform on Thursday, August 27 in one of the first streamer-exclusive game presentations in the industry.

In fact, the game is predicted to rake in $5.2 billion by the end of its launch week, having already secured an estimated $260 million in preorders alone. According to Strauss Zelnick, the CEO of Rockstar's parent company Take-Two Interactive, more players have purchased GTA 6’s $100 Ultimate Edition than the standard edition, making it on track to be one of the most profitable titles in history.

Virginia (she/her) is IGN’s News Editor. With ten years of experience reporting on games and entertainment, she’s got a storied background in the fighting game community, influencer news, and viral online trends. Find her on Twitter at @TheeMissGlaze.