Beyond the 806
One Army unit is offering 4 bonus days off to play ‘Grand Theft Auto’ for soldiers who reenlist - AP News
The 9th Brigade Engineer Battalion at Fort Stewart, Georgia, is offering soldiers four extra days off timed around the November 19 release of "Grand Theft Auto VI" as a reenlistment incentive. Unit commanders believe the free time to play the game, in which players commit carjackings, battle police, and attempt heists, will convince soldiers to extend their military commitments.
Unit commanders believe the free time to play the game, in which players commit carjackings, battle police, and attempt heists, will convince soldiers to extend their military commitments. The GTA VI release is expected to be one of the year's biggest entertainment events, and the battalion is betting that timing matters as much as the perk itself.
For soldiers weighing whether to stay in uniform, this is a pretty unusual pitch. Most reenlistment bonuses come in the form of cash or education benefits. Four days off to play a video game is a different kind of ask. That a battalion commander signed off on it says something about how seriously the Army is taking retention right now.
It also says something about GTA VI's cultural pull that a military unit is using it as a recruitment tool. The game has been in development for years and carries massive expectations. Whether four days off is enough to lock soldiers into another enlistment stretch is a question Fort Stewart will have a concrete answer to by late November.
Common questions
What is the Army offering soldiers who reenlist to play GTA VI?
- The 9th Brigade Engineer Battalion at Fort Stewart, Georgia is offering four extra days off timed around the November 19 release of Grand Theft Auto VI. It is an unusual reenlistment incentive compared to the typical cash bonuses or education benefits soldiers normally receive.
Why would an Army unit use a video game release as a reenlistment incentive?
- Unit commanders believe the timing of a major cultural event like GTA VI matters as much as the perk itself. The game's release is expected to be one of the biggest entertainment events of the year, and the battalion is betting that free time to play it will convince soldiers to extend their service.
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