Genuine kindness: Rockstar Games might grant early GTA 6 access to a terminally ill fan

In the cutthroat realm of video game development, where the suspense around new graphics and story reveals keeps enthusiasts hooked, release dates are guarded like national treasures, But some stories of humanity manage to cut through the noise.



Rockstar Games, which is known for its blockbuster game Grand Theft Auto, finds itself at the centre of one such story, where a terminally ill fan dreams of playing GTA 6 before time runs out.

The heartfelt plea

Anthony Armstrong, a UI integrator at Ubisoft Toronto, shared a raw emotional post on LinkedIn in December 2025, in a hope of reaching out to Rockstar Games. According to the post he wrote, "To any of my connections at Rockstar Games and Rockstar Toronto, or anyone else that may be able to help. A member of my family who has been battling cancer for years just recently got the worst possible news, he was given 6–12 months to live."


Armstrong noted the fan lived near Rockstar's Oakville studio and was a lifelong GTA enthusiast, fearing he'd miss the game's launch since it has been delayed a number of times. He even offered, "I absolutely understand the need for secrecy at this point of development, so at the very least an NDA is probably needed.

The post went viral online!

The post quickly gained traction, racking up quick responses. Weeks later, Armstrong wrote, "The CEO of Take-Two reached out and we are just waiting to hear from the Rockstar team to discuss this further. Thank you to everyone who has shown support, reshared, and reached out to your contacts for us". His final note read, "We spoke to them today and got great news. That’s all I can really say, but thank you all from the bottom of my heart." Soon after, Armstrong deleted the thread, likely due to legal NDA pressures from Take-Two/Rockstar, though some social media users captured it like one called @MarioNawfal, who saved it on X.

This isn’t first such incident on Rockstar’s part

This isn't Rockstar's first such act. In 2018, they let a dying fan play Red Dead Redemption 2 weeks early, showing a pattern of flexibility for end-of-life wishes, as per reports from GamingBolt and TheGamer. Other studios followed suit, Bethesda honoured deceased fans in Fallout 4 and Starfield memorials. No official Rockstar confirmation exists yet, but Armstrong's words and viral shares fuel belief in the outcome.

PR win or genuine kindness?

People on Reddit call it unverified PR amid GTA 6 hype and past crunch controversies, but supporters see heartfelt humanity, especially with Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick's personal involvement. For a fan facing stage 4 cancer, this could mean everything.