Terminally ill cancer patient granted early access to GTA VI after family's request
Published on Jan 19, 2026 at 5:03 PM (UTC+4)
by Keelin McNamara
Last updated on Jan 19, 2026 at 5:03 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
A terminally ill cancer patient was granted early access to GTA VI, thanks to Rockstar Games.
The heart-warming announcement came after his family’s request.
Anthony Armstrong, a Ubisoft Toronto developer, helped make the wish happen.
And Rockstar Games, the team behind the Grand Theft Auto series, made the boy’s dream come true.
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Family member puts out a call for help
Well, this is one of the most heartwarming stories you will ever hear.
And it concerns one of the most hotly anticipated video games of all time.
A terminally ill cancer patient made global headlines earlier this week.
According to reports, the child in question is an enormous Grand Theft Auto fan.
And his family put out a request to Rockstar Games to help him with a wish.
He wanted to have the chance to experience GTA VI.
But the experience is all thanks to a relative of the patient in question.
In a now-deleted LinkedIn post, Anthony Armstrong put out a call for help.
“The reason I am reaching out is that they are a huge GTA fan and, with this latest update, he may not be around long enough to actually get to see GTA 6 launch, best case scenario, he will be leaving us the same month it does,” Armstrong wrote.
Armstrong hoped that his family member could ‘have a chance to experience the game, before passing.’
“I absolutely understand the need for secrecy at this point of development, so at the very least an NDA is probably needed.”
Rockstar Games makes cancer patient’s GTA VI dreams come true
But Armstrong’s plea for help clearly resonated with the powers-that-be.
Because the Ubisoft Toronto developer got some very good news.
An update shared later revealed that Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick had personally intervened.
The CEO himself reportedly got in touch after seeing the post.
“We spoke to them today and got great news. That’s all I can really say, but thank you all from the bottom of my heart,” Armstrong added on the LinkedIn post.
What is interesting is that those LinkedIn posts have since been deleted.
It has led to some speculation about whether the events actually happened.
But the story has truly resonated within the wider gaming community.
The common – and hilarious – sentiment shared online was that the patient ‘got GTA VI before GTA VI.’
This is in reference to the viral meme of how long it has taken for the game to be released.
But people appeared to be genuinely touched by the heartwarming gesture from the studio.
Of course, this is not the first time that Rockstar Games has made a young fan’s dreams come true.
Back in 2018, it allowed another terminally ill fan to play Red Dead Redemption 2 early.
But it is truly amazing to see such a major company perform such a meaningful gesture.
Keelin McNamara is a content writer at Supercar Blondie from Ireland, covering cars, technology, and lifestyle. Despite being a Law graduate, he discovered his passion for journalism during the COVID-19 pandemic, and has worked in the industry ever since. Outside of work, he is an avid MotoGP fan, and is a self-confessed addict of the sport.
