Nearly 900,000 UK Workers Could Call in Sick for GTA 6 Launch, New Research Suggests

Nearly 900,000 UK workers could call in sick around the launch of Grand Theft Auto VI, according to an estimate circulating alongside new research suggesting some fans are prepared to miss work to play the long-awaited game.

Research published by comparison service Uswitch on 9 November found that 9% of employed gamers intending to play GTA VI said they might take sick leave despite not being unwell.

The findings concern intentions, not confirmed absences, and the published research does not establish the calculation behind the 900,000 estimate.

One in Ten Consider Calling in Sick

Uswitch commissioned OnePoll to survey 1,000 employed UK adults who play video games between 22 and 29 September. Of those, 438 intended to play GTA VI and answered questions about their plans for its release.

Among that group, 17% said they planned to or might take annual leave, while 14% considered unpaid leave or other arrangements. Another 30% said they worked from home and might use some working time to play.

The figures cannot be applied directly to the entire UK workforce: the sick-leave percentage represents a subset of employed gamers already interested in the title. Nor does saying someone might call in sick mean they will actually do so.

Millions Preparing for Launch Day

A separate nationally representative Opinium survey of 2,000 UK adults, conducted between 3 and 6 November, found that 5% planned to play on launch day, equivalent to approximately 2.8 million adults. Around 13.5 million are expected to play eventually.

The game is scheduled for release on 19 November 2026, with digital pre-loading beginning on 10 November. Uswitch warned that downloading the title could itself disrupt fans' plans.

Its analysis of more than 825,000 broadband speed tests estimated that a 212GB download could take over 52 hours in Caistor, Lincolnshire, where recorded median speeds were 9 Mbps. At the overall median of 71 Mbps, the estimated download time exceeded six hours.

US Employers Also See Leave Requests Rise

Separate research from workplace software company BambooHR suggests the excitement extends beyond Britain. Its analysis of leave records covering more than 3.4 million US employees found requests for 19 November running nearly 13% above comparable Thursdays in previous years.

In an accompanying survey of 1,530 full-time US employees, 18% said they planned to take the launch day off. Among people intending to take time off for an upcoming video game release, half said they would call in sick rather than book leave beforehand.

That 50% finding covers upcoming game releases generally, not exclusively GTA VI, and cannot be treated as a UK estimate.

What the Figures Really Show

BambooHR also reported an 8.3% increase in the UK leave-request rate for launch day relative to comparable Thursdays, although the data does not prove every additional request was caused by GTA VI.

Taken together, the studies suggest a major entertainment launch is influencing workplace plans. Whether hundreds of thousands of British employees actually report sick will only become clearer after release day, when intentions can be compared with real attendance data.

Employers may therefore face unusual staffing pressures, particularly if employees request leave simultaneously or unexpectedly report absences during the game's launch. However, the actual impact will depend on how many gamers follow through.