Grand Theft Auto 5 Windows PC release marred by username problem

Some Windows PC owners attempting to enjoy today's release of Grand Theft Auto 5 have been locked out of playing the game, all because of their Windows username.

Rockstar today alerted users that GTA 5 runs into trouble when it is being installed and run by PC owners whose Windows username includes characters outside standard letters and numbers. Replying to a consumer query asking about the problem, the company stated that it is working on a fix, while suggesting a short-term workaround.

"We have identified an issue where players with Windows usernames that include characters not found in the table at the bottom of this page [numbers and basic Latin alphabet letters] will likely run into difficulties when attempting to download, install, or play GTA 5. We are currently working on a fix for this issue," offered the support reply.

"If you don't want to wait for a fix, you need to create a new Administrator User Account for your Windows system that only includes letters A to Z, a to z or numbers 0-9 from the basic alphabet. Please note that simply renaming your current User Account will not correct this issue. Once your new account is created (or if you already have an account that only uses these characters) we recommend you restart your PC and log in with that account before starting or continuing with the installation process."

If you need this fix, you can follow further instructions from Microsoft's website.

GTA 5 is a crime fantasy set in a vast world. Originally released on consoles back in 2013, it broke various sales records including the fastest selling entertainment product, hitting $1 billion within three days. The PC version's Steam page features a warning about the username mishap.