An estimated 1.5 million American workers may skip work for the Grand Theft Auto 6 launch on November 19, potentially costing the U.S. economy about a billion dollars in lost productivity, according to reports citing an economics professor’s projection.
The estimate comes from José García Montalvo, a professor at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona. He calculated the figure based on roughly 1.5 million absences and an average annual output of about $70,000 per worker, which he said could trim national productivity by around 2 percent for the day. Workers aged 18 to 30 are expected to account for most of the absences, with technology companies likely to feel the biggest impact.
The projection is an academic estimate, not an official government or industry forecast. Some workers have already saved vacation days or planned to call in sick for the release, and a few companies have built the date into end-of-year leave packages. A California business, Burger Motorsports, has said staff holidays will slow shipping and customer support around the launch.
BREAKING: “Grand Theft Auto VI” could cost the US economy $1 billion in a single day. The long-awaited game drops Nov. 19, and up to 1.5 million Americans could call in sick or take the day off to play it, according to estimates cited by the International Business Times.
— unusual_whales (@unusual_whales) October 20, 2026
The game, developed by Rockstar Games and published by Take-Two Interactive, is scheduled for release November 19 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. Take-Two has said it expects more than $1 billion in operating cash flow this fiscal year, with the GTA 6 launch as a major driver. The company has not released an official sales forecast for launch day.
There is precedent for launch-day absences. When Grand Theft Auto 5 launched in 2013, surveys found that a significant share of younger workers in cities such as New York and Los Angeles planned to take the day off. The current estimate for GTA 6 is larger, reflecting the game’s higher profile and broader console install base.
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