US Army Uses Four-Day GTA 6 Pass as Bizarre Incentive to Keep Soldiers for Two More Years

A US Army battalion in Georgia is offering soldiers a four-day pass to play Grand Theft Auto VI if they agree to stay in uniform for at least two more years.

The unusual incentive comes from the 9th Brigade Engineer Battalion, part of the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team at Fort Stewart, Georgia. According to a late July memo obtained by media, eligible soldiers who sign a re-enlistment contract between 1 August and 14 November can receive a 'special 4-day' pass timed around the release of GTA 6.

The game is scheduled to launch on 19 November for Xbox and PlayStation, according to Rockstar Games. After more than a decade since Grand Theft Auto V, the sequel is widely expected to be one of the biggest entertainment releases of the year.

Lt. Col. Ryan Hodgson, commander of the battalion, wrote in the 28 July memo that the exact dates of the pass would be coordinated between each soldier and their chain of command to align with the game's official release.

Twenty Soldiers Already Took the Deal

The offer is not open to every soldier across the Army. For now, it applies to about 130 eligible soldiers within the battalion. Lt. Col. Angel Tomko, a spokesperson for the 3rd Infantry Division, said that 20 soldiers had already selected the incentive.

To qualify, soldiers must re-enlist for a minimum of two years. Contracts can run up to six years, depending on the soldier's choice and eligibility. Tomko said the battalion's new career counsellor proposed the idea as part of an updated incentive programme designed to help meet fiscal year 2027 retention goals.

'The battalion has a new career counselor who approached unit leadership with an idea for an updated creative incentives program,' Tomko said.

Army Defends Creative Incentive

Re-enlistment incentives are common in the Army, though they usually involve more traditional benefits. Soldiers can receive perks such as tuition assistance, preferred duty stations, specialist school opportunities, exemptions from certain duties or other local privileges.

The GTA 6 pass stands out because it ties military retention to a specific pop culture release. Tomko defended the idea, saying commanders were trying to connect with what soldiers actually care about.

'We want to retain the best talent and it's a credit to the creativity of the career counselor within the organization to develop this unique opportunity surrounding the launch of this popular video game,' she said.

Gaming and Army Recruitment

The Army has used gaming culture before as part of its recruitment and retention strategy. After missing recruiting targets in 2018 for the first time in more than a decade, the branch leaned further into gaming conventions and later created its own esports team.

Army officials have previously argued that gaming and military service share traits such as quick decision-making, teamwork and the ability to process information under pressure. The Fort Stewart offer appears to follow that same logic, but in a more direct way: commit to the Army, get time off to play the year's most anticipated game.

The 3rd Infantry Division was the Army's top division for retention last year, according to Tomko. Career counsellors in the brigade reportedly completed their mission 90 days ahead of schedule.