A Heartfelt Plea to Play Grand Theft Auto 6
As hype continues to build for Grand Theft Auto 6 and its November 19 release date, one story has stood out from the usual leaks, trailers and speculation. It is a very human moment in the middle of all the noise around one of the most anticipated games ever made.
Ubisoft developer Anthony Armstrong took to LinkedIn with a deeply personal request. A member of his family, a long time Grand Theft Auto fan, has been battling cancer for years. Recently, doctors gave him the worst possible update. His prognosis is now only six to twelve months to live.
GTA 6 is set to launch right around that same window. That means there is a very real chance he may never see the full release of the game he has been waiting for. In his post, which has since been deleted but was captured and shared elsewhere online, Armstrong explained that this family member is a huge GTA fan and that it has been a series close to his heart.
Because of that, Armstrong decided to try something bold. He reached out publicly to anyone at Rockstar Games and Rockstar Toronto who might be able to help set up a private play session of Grand Theft Auto 6.
He also pointed out that his relative lives only a short distance from Rockstar’s Oakville studio in Canada. That physical closeness made the idea feel slightly more realistic. Rather than trying to coordinate complex travel or major events, he was hoping the studio might be able to host a quiet, exclusive playtest at the office so his family member could experience at least some of GTA 6 before he passes away.
Rockstar Responds Behind the Scenes
Stories like this do not always go anywhere. Big studios are incredibly protective of unfinished games, and GTA 6 is one of the most closely guarded projects in the industry right now. From strict secrecy around gameplay to tight control of any previews, Rockstar has every reason to be cautious about who gets to see the game before launch.
In this case, though, it appears that the plea did not go unheard. According to follow up posts shared on social media, Armstrong later updated his original LinkedIn message with a short but promising note. He said that he had spoken with Rockstar and that they had received great news, although he could not share specific details.
That small update is doing a lot of work. It suggests that someone high up at Rockstar or its parent company Take Two took the request seriously and is working to arrange something special. Reports mention that Take Two’s CEO even responded, which hints that this did not just stay as a low level customer service ticket. It got attention at the very top.
Exactly what Rockstar is planning is still unclear. There is no public confirmation that the fan will definitely get hands on time with GTA 6, and there likely will not be for privacy reasons. But the tone of Armstrong’s message makes it sound like the family has been given a meaningful gesture, whether that is a private playtest, an in studio visit or some other form of early access or experience connected to the game.
For the family, who are dealing with a brutal situation, that is at least a small bright moment. For the wider gaming community, it is a reminder that behind the marketing plans and investor calls there are people at these companies who still care about players on a personal level.
Not the First Time a Studio Has Stepped Up
This is not an isolated case. The games industry has a history of quietly helping terminally ill fans when it can, especially around beloved franchises. These are usually rare exceptions because preview builds are tightly managed and unfinished games are not meant to be in the wild.
One recent example came from Gearbox Software. The studio invited Caleb McAlpine, a terminally ill Borderlands fan, to visit the developer in person. Gearbox flew him out, gave him a tour and let him play Borderlands 4 months ahead of its official release in September 2025.
According to Caleb, the trip was an amazing experience and a dream come true. He was able to see where the games he loved were created, meet the people who worked on them and actually play a new entry in the series before almost anyone else in the world.
Stories like Caleb’s and the current GTA 6 situation highlight a side of game development that does not always show up in trailers or performance benchmarks. These teams may be working on giant commercial products, but they also understand that games can matter deeply to individual players, especially during difficult times.
For many fans, a long running series like Grand Theft Auto or Borderlands becomes a comfort, a distraction and a way to connect with friends. When someone is facing a terminal illness, getting the chance to step into a long awaited new game, even briefly, can make a huge emotional difference.
In an era where the conversation around big studios often focuses on layoffs, microtransactions and delays, it is easy to become cynical. That is why moments like this resonate so strongly. They cut through the usual industry drama and remind everyone why games matter to so many people in the first place.
Until Rockstar or the family choose to share more details, we will not know exactly what form this GTA 6 wish will take. But the fact that the company appears to be working on something at all is encouraging. As the countdown to November 19 continues, this story adds a more human perspective to all the excitement. Somewhere near Rockstar’s Oakville studio, a fan who has been through far too much may soon get to step into Vice City ahead of the world, not as an influencer or a reviewer, but simply as someone who loves the game and needed a little bit of kindness.
Original article and image: https://www.pcgamer.com/games/grand-theft-auto/rockstar-responds-to-plea-for-a-terminally-ill-huge-gta-fan-to-get-his-hands-on-the-game-early/
