Uncomfortably sick GTA 6 fan may be playing the game early

Rockstar might give a die-hard fan a special chance to play Grand Theft Auto 6months before the game is scheduled to be officially released. The open world epic from Rockstar Games is arguably among the most anticipated releases in gaming history, with the game being teased by the developer for years. Rockstar finally confirmed GTA 6 2022 and debuted the first official trailer for the game in December 2023, which went on to break YouTube records and become the biggest premiere of a non-music video ever. However, the game has come a long way to reach its current November release date.

GTA 6s status as one of gaming's most anticipated titles comes as the game has been subject to numerous delays throughout its life. Revealing trailers for Grand Theft Auto 6 teased the game when it was released in 2025, with Rockstar first officially pushing back its release date to May 2026. The developer later pushed back the game's launch even further, currently scheduled to launch on November 19 after a wave of firings and employee protests against Rockstar. But a recent exchange with a Ubisoft Toronto employee on LinkedIn suggests that one particular fan might get a chance to try GTA 6 early.

GTA 6 Online can support lobbies for 32 players

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Legal documents suggest that GTA 6 Online may have lobbies for 32 players

Court documents from Rockstar's ongoing union lawsuit appear to reveal that Grand Theft Auto 6's online component will support 32-player lobbies.

Rockstar may let a die-hard fan play GTA 6 early

New LinkedIn post from Ubisoft Toronto employee Anthony Armstrong has shared the story of a terminally ill family member. In his posts, Armstrong reached out to all Rockstar employees about a member of his family who has been battling cancer and was recently diagnosed with only 6 to 12 months to live. Armstrong talked about how the family member is a “big GTA damn” and likely won't live long enough to see GTA 6 fully released, asking to set up an exclusive playtest under an NDA. Later updates from Armstrong revealed that he had been in contact with the CEO for GTA publisher Take-Two, another saying they had received “good news” from the Rockstar team. The posts have since been deleted from LinkedIn.

Although the post is no longer viewable on LinkedIn, a portion of it is still cached in Google's search engine.

The removal of the posts likely indicates that Armstrong was successful in arranging an exclusive playtest of GTA 6 for the sick family member. This wouldn't be the first time Rockstar has arranged a similar situation, where a terminally ill fan gets the chance to play Red Dead Redemption 2 before the launch. The gaming industry has often seen developers extend similar opportunities to those suffering from terminal illnesses, including a fan who gets to play Borderlands 4 early, almost a year before the official release.

GTA 6 is one of gaming's greatest stories, for better or for worse

The feel-good story from Rockstar comes as a bright spot for the studio after a controversial end to the year. The aforementioned layoffs saw Rockstar receive a lot of backlash from fans and former employees, with even the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom weighing in on the Rockstar situation. Rumors of another delay have also swirled around Grand Theft Auto 6although a former Rockstar developer has warned that further setbacks could threaten to kill excitement for the game. Rockstar hasn't officially hinted at any new delays either GTA 6 yet, even though the game's current release date is still 10 months away.

GTA 6 has joined an exclusive club long before its official release date

The upcoming launch of GTA 6 has caused many different developers in the industry to adjust their plans around the game. Sony will reportedly treat GTA 6 like a pre-launch PS5 exclusive, planning and moving the big releases to fit. Many smaller studios have also suggested that they plan their release schedule around Grand Theft Auto 6s debut and try to avoid their new releases having to compete with such a massive launch. GTA 6the release will be one of the most monumental events in the gaming industry, and many developers are moving to accommodate.