GTA 6 Could Cost the US Economy $1 Billion in "Sick Days"

When Grand Theft Auto VI finally arrives on Thursday, November 19, a whole lot of people may suddenly wake up feeling unwell. Roughly 1.5 million American workers are expected to skip work on launch day, according to the International Business Times, potentially costing the US economy around $1 billion in lost productivity.

The Math Behind the $1 Billion Figure

The estimate is based on an average annual output of about $70,000 per worker, with the report claiming the absentee wave would shave roughly 2% off national output for the day.

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It's worth taking that number with a healthy grain of salt, though. Spread $70,000 across roughly 250 working days and you get closer to $280 a day per worker — which puts 1.5 million absentees nearer $420 million. Still an expensive Thursday by any measure, just not quite a billion.

Even the Publisher Expects It

Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick isn't pretending otherwise. Speaking at a conference in Las Vegas, he said he thinks "a lot of people will be calling in sick on November 19."

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Many are being far more organized about it. The Wall Street Journal reports that some workers have been saving up leave specifically for launch day, while certain companies have even factored the date into their end-of-year packages.

The US Army's Creative Incentive

Perhaps the strangest example comes from the US military. The 9th Brigade Engineer Battalion at Fort Stewart in Georgia is reportedly offering soldiers who re-enlist a special four-day pass in November — which might just be the most effective re-enlistment incentive in military history.

This Isn't New

None of this is unprecedented. When GTA V launched back in 2013, an IGN survey of 11,000 readers found that 46% had taken the day off, and nearly 20% planned to call in sick that morning.

For Rockstar's Parent Company, the Numbers Go the Other Way

While the economy braces for absenteeism, Take-Two is looking at a very different set of figures. SensorTower's tracker puts preorder revenue at nearly $600 million, market research firm Newzoo estimates the game could book up to $4.5 billion at retail in its opening week, and Take-Two expects more than $1 billion in operating cash flow this financial year.

A Long Time Coming

It's been a lengthy wait. GTA 6 was originally slated for 2025 and slipped twice, but Take-Two has repeatedly reaffirmed the November 19 date. The game will arrive on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, with no PC version at launch.

A Note for Australian Bosses

The 19th also falls on a Thursday in Australia, so local employers are about to find out how many of their staff suddenly come down with something. It's worth remembering that under Fair Work rules, paid sick leave is reserved for when you're genuinely unfit for work — and employers can ask for evidence. A day of annual leave is the far safer play.

And yes, Vice City's garages will be full of supercars, but if you'd rather spend your money on the real thing, the 2026 Corvette Stingray is still the best-value supercar you can buy in Australia.