Topline
A U.S. Army unit in Georgia is offering a four-day pass to play “Grand Theft Auto VI” upon its release as an incentive for troops to reenlist, the latest indicator of extreme hype and an attempt to capitalize off the video game ahead of its November release.
Key Facts
The Army’s 9th Brigade Engineer Battalion at Fort Stewart, Georgia, is offering the incentive, with soldiers who reenlist between Aug. 1 and Nov. 14 receiving a four-day pass “specifically designated to coincide” with the release of GTA VI.
Twenty soldiers at Fort Stewart have accepted the incentive as part of their reenlistment, Lt. Col. Angel Tomko, a 3rd Infantry Division spokesperson, told Forbes in an email, noting 130 soldiers are currently eligible for the incentive.
Eligible soldiers are required to reenlist for a minimum of two years.
Reports about the incentive came after an internal Army memo was circulated on social media, showing the terms of the deal which noted the exact dates of the four-day pass would be coordinated between soldiers and their chain of command.
“Grand Theft Auto VI” releases Nov. 19, with the first look at its gameplay and features coming later this month through a special stream on Netflix.
Big Number
$5.2 billion. That is how much money GTA VI is expected to make in sales by the end of launch week, according to IGN, which cited analytics firm Newzoo. The video game has made an estimated $260 million in the first week of pre-orders—an astounding number made more stark by the fact no official gameplay has been released.
Key Background
Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick said in an earnings call this month pre-orders for the video game got off to an “exceptional start,” noting more players pre-ordered GTA VI’s $100 ultimate edition than the standard $80 version. However, Zelnick added the promising numbers are so large, Take-Two is unsure how they will translate to final sales, saying, “we just don’t believe in claiming victory before it occurs.” Players have waited well over a decade for the next “Grand Theft Auto” installment after purchasing a whopping 230 million copies of “Grand Theft Auto V.” The newest entry in the franchise has years of hype behind it, with players expecting high-level gameplay mechanics, open-world details and storytelling from Rockstar Games, which has developed a reputation as one of the most, if not the single most, prestigious studios in gaming.