Soldiers at Fort Stewart in Georgia were offered a unique incentive to reenlist in the Army: a four-day pass to play the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI.
The 9th Brigade Engineering Battalion, which is attached to the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, is offering active-duty soldiers a pass to play the long-awaited video game upon its release in November as an incentive to extend their Army contracts. The incentive is exclusive to the battalion, which comprises roughly 130 service members, and to be eligible, service members must reenlist for at least two years before Nov. 14.
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Twenty soldiers have already opted for the incentive, a spokesman for the 3rd Infantry Division said, noting that such initiatives “are routine for the U.S. Army to reward our Soldiers. We want to retain the best talent.”
“It’s a credit to the creativity of the career counselor within the organization to develop this unique opportunity surrounding the launch of this popular video game,” the spokesman said.
The game is set to be released on Nov. 19.
Rockstar Games last released Grand Theft Auto V in 2013, and players have been waiting over a decade for the next game in the series. Standard bundles of the game, intended for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, start at around $80 and can cost up to $100.
“The idea was to have a unique incentives program that connects to what Soldiers are interested in,” Lt. Col. Angel Tomko, a spokesperson for the 3rd Infantry Division, said in a statement to CBS News. “The command team, in conjunction with the career counselor, wanted to get soldiers excited to reenlist.”
Over the years, the Army has traditionally offered cash bonuses, leave days, choice duty station assignments, or specialized training in exchange for reenlistment.
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The gaming world is no stranger to the Army, which has caught its eye in the past. During a recruitment shortfall in 2018, the branch established an esports team where active-duty soldiers could compete in gaming tournaments.
As first-person shooter games that emulate battlefield decision-making grew in popularity, Army recruiters began attending gaming conventions to attract new recruits, CBS News previously reported.
