Workers globally are booking time off or planning to call in sick for the November 19 release of Grand Theft Auto VI.
The release triggers corporate leave policies and predicted billions in lost productivity. Economic models estimate that the launch will cost the U.S. economy $1 billion in lost productivity. A projected NIS 75 million to NIS 170 million hit is expected for Israel’s daily economic output.
Development and marketing costs for the sixth installment in the series have reportedly exceeded $2 billion. A predecessor sold more than 200 million copies and generated about $8.5 billion for developer Rockstar Games.
Companies Offer Official Leave
Several prominent companies have established official leave policies for the launch rather than fighting a wave of unscheduled absences. Gaming accessory maker Logitech announced a company-wide ‘Logi Game Day’ for its 7,000 global employees.
Staff get the option to take a day off to play video games. Staff can also save the day off until 2027 if they prefer.
“It is time to ditch the stereotype that gaming is a waste of time,” said Hanneke Faber, Logitech’s chief executive officer. Robin Piispanen, general manager of Logitech’s gaming brand Logitech G, said giving employees the day off ensures they can embrace the moment without having to call in hooky.
Millions of Adults Alter Schedules
Survey data indicates that millions of adults plan to alter their schedules. Roughly 12.5 million US gamers plan to take time off to play.
Gen Z leads in adjusting their schedules for GTA 6, at 13%.
Economists Question Productivity Impact
Academic opinions are divided on whether projected absences will create a genuine macroeconomic shock. Nick Huntington-Klein, an associate professor of economics at Seattle University, said that self-reported survey intentions frequently diverge from actual workplace behavior.
“The real question is are people going to take more time off work in large enough numbers for us to notice it,” Huntington-Klein told FOX 13 Seattle.
“My suspicion is the numbers you expect to see in productivity harm based on the survey results will not be as big in real life,” he added.