A dying GTA 6 fan had only one dream, and it probably came true. CEO of Take-Two himself intervened
A touching story from behind the scenes of the industry: the intervention of Take-Two's CEO likely allowed a terminally ill fan to play GTA VI before the rest of the world.
In 2024, the story of Caleb McAlpine—a terminally ill fan of the Borderlands series whose dream was to play Borderlands 4 before its release—circulated in industry media. With the community's support and the kindness of Gearbox Software, his dream was realized.
In December 2025, Anthony Armstrong, a developer from Ubisoft Toronto, posted a heartbreaking message on LinkedIn. His relative, who had been battling cancer for years, received the worst diagnosis: he had 6 to 12 months to live. For a devoted fan of the Grand Theft Auto series, this meant that at best, he would pass away in the month of the sixth installment's release, and at worst, he would never see it.
Knowing that the ill relative lived near the Rockstar studio in Oakville, Armstrong asked for the impossible: a chance for an exclusive, pre-release playtest. The power of the internet worked swiftly, and the matter reached the top of the corporate ladder. In an update to his post, Armstrong informed that he was contacted directly by Strauss Zelnick, the CEO of Take-Two (Rockstar Games' parent company).
Armstrong's last message read: "We talked to them and received great news. That's all I can say." Shortly after, all posts were deleted, which in the gaming industry is almost a clear signal of signing non-disclosure agreements (NDAs). However, everything indicates that Rockstar once again—similar to 2018 with a dying fan of RDR 2—acted with class.
The current release date for GTA 6 is November 19, 2026. The title will first be available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.
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Author: Peter Doron
Educated as a journalist and political scientist. In GRYOnline.pl since 2004. He started with previews and reviews, to join the Newsroom after a year and stayed there ever since. Currently the head of this department, where he manages a team composed of both specialists in their field and ambitious newbies, eager to learn and do their best. Former editor of emu@dreams, where he got by his fascination with emulation and consoles, as well as a reviewer for GB More magazine. A fan of information, games (it would take a long time to list favorite genres), the Internet, a good sci-fi and fantasy book, will also watch a well-crafted series or movie. Husband, father of three children, aesthete, advocate of moderation in private life.
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