Live · 10/21/2026 02:27
GTA 6: up to 1.5 million Americans could skip work on November 19
Experts cited by Vice say 1.5 million people could call in sick or take time off on GTA 6's release day, November 19.
Sources vice.com
Experts cited by Vice say 1.5 million people could call in sick or take time off on GTA 6's release day, November 19.
Sources vice.com
November 19 is a Thursday, and some employers are bracing for it. According to Vice, experts estimate up to 1.5 million Americans could call in sick or use vacation or paid time off to play GTA 6 at launch.
Vice points to online reports without giving a method, so treat it as a projection, not a count. It adds that, per the Wall Street Journal, some companies have even built the release date into their PTO policies. Employers are preparing for a thinner workforce, Vice says.
Vice notes the game has been in development for over a decade and players may only get a few hours in before bed. The same piece cites roughly 6 million estimated pre-orders, 4.8 million of them on PS5. We covered those in our piece on Sensor Tower's pre-order estimates, third-party figures Take-Two has not confirmed.
Nothing comparable has been measured in France. The standard edition costs €79.99 and the unlock time is still unknown; see our release page.
Read also GTA 6 in Lille: a free giant-screen launch night on November 19 at St So
Little for players beyond a simple point: a day off booked in advance beats an invented sick day. For employers, it is a real-world test of the GTA effect.
Sources vice.com
By Solange Rocheval · GTAVIFRANCE newsroom
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