Rockstar Games appeared to have quietly granted early access to Grand Theft Auto 6 to a terminally ill fan after a family member’s emotional plea went viral.
The request circulated online earlier this week and quickly drew attention across gaming communities. Soon after, an update hinted that Rockstar had responded privately.
While the company never confirmed details, the move led many in the gaming community to believe the fan was able to experience the long-awaited title ahead of its official release.
A private request that drew public attention
The situation began when Anthony Armstrong, a UI integrator at Ubisoft, shared a message on LinkedIn asking for help in December. He explained that a close family member had battled cancer for years. However, doctors had recently given them six to 12 months to live. Armstrong said the person loved GTA and feared they would miss the next game’s release.
In his post, which has since been deleted, Armstrong wrote, "To any of my connections at Rockstar Games and Rockstar Toronto, or anyone else that may be able to help."
He then explained the circumstances surrounding his family member’s illness. Because GTA 6 remained unreleased, he hoped someone could arrange a private playtest.
Armstrong added, "The reason I'm 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 GTA6 launch."
He also noted the fan lived "only a stone's throw from the Oakville studio." Therefore, he asked whether a discreet visit or test session might be possible.
At the same time, Armstrong acknowledged Rockstar’s need for confidentiality around the much-anticipated game's release. "I absolutely understand the need for secrecy at this point of development," he wrote, while suggesting an NDA if required.
Later, Armstrong edited the post with a brief update. "We spoke to them today and got great news," he wrote. "Thats all I can really say, but thank you all from the bottom of my heart." Although he never confirmed what happened, many readers interpreted the message as a successful request.
In a later LinkedIn post, Armstrong shared the GoFundMe for his family member and their wife.
Online reactions mixed praise, jokes, and skepticism
Folks on social media, especially gamers, reacted to the post as it made the rounds online. Some celebrated the gesture, while others questioned Rockstar’s motives, claiming it was simply a PR stunt after the company was brought to court for allegedly attempting to union-bust its workers.
One Redditor, u/GeneProfessional9862, commented, "If this is organic that’s nice but it feels very convenient that this happens when they are currently in court for union busting🙂↕️"
Similarly, u/Substantial-Season8 wrote, "There’s probably some genuine good from a Rockstar employee in all of this, but it’s also pretty likely someone up top heard about it and told PR to push the f out of this story."
However, others took a softer view. u/spookylibrarian said, "Rockstar is terrible but this can also just be a nice thing, maybe?" On Twitter, @SippinDirtyS0DA posted, "Respect to Rockstar. I forgive you for all the delays now 💯"
At the same time, humor found its way into the discussion. @brienightwood joked, "This is actually so sad but a part of me can’t help but wonder what if he leaks the game on his deathbed lololol." Meanwhile, @0xboba wrote, "he got gta6 before gta6."
Rockstar Games did not respond immediately to the Daily Dot’s request for comment via email.
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