'Thank You All': Rockstar Games Appears to Have Granted a Terminally Ill Fan's Wish to Play GTA 6

Sometimes the biggest stories in gaming aren't about frame rates or polygon counts. They're about people.

Anthony Armstrong, a UI Integrator at Ubisoft Toronto, reached out publicly on LinkedIn in December seeking help from anyone connected to Rockstar Games. His family member had been fighting cancer for years and recently received devastating news: six to twelve months left to live.

The request was straightforward. The fan lives near Rockstar's Oakville studio. Massive GTA enthusiast. Might not survive until November's launch window. Would an exclusive playtest be possible?

"He currently lives only a stones throw from the Oakville studio, so its my hope that one of you may be able to set up an exclusive playtest, so he can have a chance to experience the game, before passing," Armstrong wrote. He acknowledged Rockstar's obsessive secrecy around GTA 6 development, noting he understood NDAs would be required.

The post spread rapidly across gaming forums and social media. Within weeks, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick personally reached out, with Armstrong later updating followers that they were waiting to hear from Rockstar's team directly.

Then came the final update before the LinkedIn post vanished entirely: "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."

The deletion suggests legal requirements kicked in. NDAs. Confidentiality agreements. The usual machinery that surrounds anything GTA 6-related at this stage of development.

Not the First Time

Rockstar granted a similar wish back in 2018 when a young Dutch man named Jurian, suffering from neurofibromatosis type 2, got to play Red Dead Redemption 2 weeks before launch. Two Rockstar employees brought a copy directly to him for a private session.

Jurian's father Harm had contacted Rockstar Netherlands hoping his son could experience the game. When the local office was willing but lacked clearance, headquarters arranged something quickly.

Other studios have made similar gestures. Gearbox Software allowed a fan to play Borderlands 4 nearly a year before its release in early 2025. Bethesda has immortalised fans in Fallout 4 and Starfield. Nintendo let Chris Taylor play Super Smash Bros. Ultimate before he passed away.

These moments don't generate revenue. They don't move the stock price. But they reveal something about the people behind corporate logos and billion-dollar franchises.

Timing Matters

The timing here is worth noting. Rockstar is navigating controversial waters right now. Recent firings in the UK triggered union busting allegations. Employees claim the layoffs targeted those discussing workplace organisation. The UK's Prime Minister even weighed in on the situation.

GTA 6 itself has faced multiple delays. Originally teased for 2025, Rockstar pushed the date to May 2026, then again to November 19, 2026. Speculation about further postponements continues circulating, though Take-Two remains "highly confident" in the current window.

Against that backdrop, this story offers a different view of the studio. One where human compassion breaks through corporate secrecy protocols.

What GTA 6 Means

Grand Theft Auto 6 ranks among the most anticipated releases in gaming history. The first official trailer debuted in December 2023 and smashed YouTube records, becoming the biggest premiere of a non-music video ever.

For someone who grew up with the franchise, who spent countless hours in Los Santos and Liberty City, getting to see Vice City before time runs out? That means something beyond entertainment metrics.

Armstrong's post wasn't about leaks or marketing. The family member won't be streaming footage or posting screenshots. This was about experiencing something they'd waited years for whilst they still could.

The gaming community's response was overwhelmingly supportive, though some couldn't resist joking about wanting similar access themselves. The passion surrounding GTA 6 runs deep across millions of fans worldwide.

Rockstar and Take-Two haven't issued official statements. They probably won't. Some gestures work better without press releases.

The LinkedIn post is gone now. Armstrong thanked everyone from the bottom of his heart. And somewhere near Oakville, a longtime GTA fan likely got to walk the streets of Vice City months before the rest of us.

Sometimes that's enough.