Army Dangles GTA 6 Pass to Keep Soldiers

An Army unit at Fort Stewart, Georgia, is offering soldiers a four-day pass timed to the release of "Grand Theft Auto VI" if they reenlist.

The incentive comes from the 9th Brigade Engineer Battalion, part of the 3rd Infantry Division. Lt. Col. Angel Tomko of the 3rd Infantry Division confirmed to Newsweek that the July 28 memorandum authorizing the pass is authentic.

Roughly 130 soldiers in the battalion are eligible. At least 20 have already taken the offer, according to reporting by Army Times and The Independent.

The Deal

Soldiers must reenlist for a minimum of two years and as long as six years to qualify.

The reward is a 96-hour pass — four days off — aligned with the game's launch. It cannot be stacked with other leave to stretch the absence past four days, and soldiers coordinate the exact dates with their chain of command.

Why It's Happening

The battalion is chasing its fiscal 2027 reenlistment targets. The program came from a new battalion career counselor who pitched it to unit leadership.

Traditional cash reenlistment bonuses — which can exceed $100,000 for critical specialties — are being narrowed and tied to fitness scores and command assessments, pushing commanders toward creative alternatives.

Recruiting is not the Army's problem right now. The service hit its fiscal 2026 active-duty recruiting goal four months early, signing contracts with more than 61,500 soldiers. Keeping the soldiers it already has is the harder job.