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A U.S. military unit is providing its troops a particular bonus in the event that they re-enlist quickly: 4 further days off timed across the November launch of the online game Grand Theft Auto VI.
Commanders of the ninth Brigade Engineer Battalion primarily based at Fort Stewart, Ga., say free time to indulge within the newest entry within the Grand Theft Auto sequence — by which gamers commit carjackings, battle police in shootouts and try audacious heists — will sway some troopers to increase their army commitments.
The Nov. 19 launch of Grand Theft Auto VI is anticipated to be one of many 12 months’s greatest leisure occasions. Sport writer Take-Two Interactive hasn’t launched gross sales figures for pre-orders, however CEO Strauss Zelnick just lately known as them “unprecedented and astonishing.”
A profession counsellor with the military engineer battalion hatched the concept with commanders to tie a retention perk to the sport’s launch, partially to remind troopers of their approaching re-enlistment dates, mentioned Lt. Col. Angel Tomko, a Fort Stewart spokesperson.
“The thought was to have a singular incentives program that connects to what troopers are interested by,” Tomko mentioned Thursday in an announcement to The Related Press.
Battalion commanders wrote in a memo to troopers that those that signal re-enlistment contracts by Nov. 14 would obtain “a particular four-day cross.”
“This particular cross is particularly designed to coincide with the extremely anticipated launch of the online game Grand Theft Auto VI,” battalion commander Lt. Col. Ryan Hodgson wrote.
Tomko confirmed the authenticity of the July 28 memo, which was photographed and posted on-line.
She mentioned no less than 20 of 130 eligible troopers have signed up for the bonus. To qualify, they have to decide to serving no less than two extra years in uniform.
Buzz for Grand Theft Auto VI has been constructing since 2023, when its first cinematic trailer confirmed a return to the fictional Vice Metropolis — a satirical analogue of Miami — and an expanded swath of Florida-based locales that embody gator-infested swamps.
Underscoring the hype, developer Rockstar Video games plans to debut gameplay video subsequent week in an prolonged trailer on Netflix. The rollout was pre-empted when hackers leaked obvious footage on-line this week.