Bangla press/Shutterstock Add Jalopnik on Google: Google Discover "Grand Theft Auto" has been one of the world's biggest gaming franchises since it launched almost 30 years ago. The most recent installment, "Grand Theft Auto V," released in 2013, and the hotly anticipated follow up is finally scheduled to debut in November. Gamers have been waiting for this day so long it became a meme to announce that the world achieved some new unthinkable thing, like eight Taylor Swift albums and a lemonade that kills you, "before we got GTA6." The game is so hotly anticipated that some gamers have already scheduled their time off from work to binge-play the new chapter in the series. Looking for new unorthodox ways to get young Infantrymen to reenlist, the United States Armed Forces offered some active-duty soldiers a four-day pass to play the game upon its release, so long as they sign a contract for at least two more years of service, reports Variety. "The idea was to have a unique incentives program that connects to what soldiers are interested in," Lt. Col. Angel Tomko, spokesperson for the 3rd Infantry Division, said in a statement to Variety. It isn't clear if the Armed Forces are offering to buy these reenlisters a pricey gaming console and the $99.99 "ultimate" edition of the game, or if they just get access to play it for four days. In either case, I'm not sure I would be willing to give up two years of my life in exchange for a four-day video gaming vacation. Army leave policy dictates that "active duty Soldiers earn 2.5 days of annual (chargeable) leave for each month of service, for a total of 30 days per year. Currently, Soldiers can bank up to 60 days of leave at the end of the fiscal year." That's right, if you sign up for two additional years of service, you are treated to a whopping 6.7% bonus in your vacation time. Is it worth it? Rockstar Games The GTA 6 program was offered to 130 eligible soldiers in the 9th Brigade Engineering Battalion based out of Georgia's Fort Stewart, and according to spokesperson Lt. Col. Angel Tomko thus far 20 have signed the reenlistment contract. It isn't clear exactly what the 9th Brigade Engineering Battalion, nicknamed "The Gilas", does for the Armed Forces, but it is described as "an integral combat support element of the United States Army for over a hundred years. Operating under the proud mottos "Asistiremos" ("We will assist") and "First to Cross!", the battalion has consistently provided vital mobility, counter-mobility, and survivability support in the military's most challenging hours." I am forced to assume that the 20 who chose to take this deal were already going to be reenlisting anyway, and think this is a nice little bonus for doing so now. Whether anyone decided to stay in the military because of the program, we may never know. In any case, this certainly feels like another instance of the the U.S. Armed Forces taking advantage of young, undereducated, and financially desperate Americans. I've seen better incentives for signing up for a new credit card, or switching your cell phone provider. "Grand Theft Auto 6," which debuted its official game trailer in December of 2023 and had its initial 2025 delivery delayed to late 2026, is said to introduce a lot of new gameplay mechanics, including the need to refuel your stolen car.
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