22 Days Video Game: GTA VI May Cost Australia $70m
Grand Theft Auto VI’s November 19 launch could cost Australia at least $70 million in lost output if workers call in sick, PR expert Eitan Soloducho warns…
PR expert Eitan Soloducho says Grand Theft Auto VI could cost Australia at least $70 million in lost output on launch day, November 19, if workers call in sick. The 22 days video game countdown is also raising concerns about staff scheduling before the release.
The estimate rests on a scenario, not a confirmed tally of absences. Soloducho said Australia has around 14 million workers and that one in 100 taking a sick day would amount to roughly 140,000 lost workdays.
“At about $500 of output a day you land on that figure, and it climbs fast if the release falls on a weekday,” Soloducho said.
Why could GTA VI affect work schedules?
The game is due to launch on November 19. Ciaran Hale, chief technology officer at payroll business Deputy, said some employees may take time off before release to download the title and be ready when its servers open.
“Shift workers clear their schedules 24 hours before a game releases so they can play the second the servers open,” Hale said. He warned that anticipation around GTA VI could create a multi-day scheduling crunch for frontline workers.
That puts the potential disruption beyond launch day. Deputy urged employers to treat November 18 to 20 as an active risk window and give workers a legitimate way to trade shifts in advance, rather than leave managers dealing with no-shows.
The download itself could add pressure. Reports cited in the source text suggest the game may require 210 gigabytes, around a quarter of a PlayStation 5’s base storage.
What does the estimate mean for employers?
For businesses that rely on shift coverage, the immediate concern is whether enough staff will be available before and during the launch. Planned shift swaps could help employers cover rosters, while unplanned absences may leave coworkers and managers to fill gaps.
Soloducho also warned about a less visible effect: employees who come to work but focus on the game rather than their jobs. “Nobody counts these hours,” he said.
The estimate has limits. Workplace culture specialist Deepak Singh, founder of Mission and Rhythm, said he was wary of assigning a precise financial cost without knowing how many people would take unplanned leave, how much work could be rescheduled and how businesses prepared.
“The game isn’t about to destroy Australia’s productivity, but it might expose a few workplaces that haven’t figured out how to manage their people,” Singh said.
Past game launches offer one point of comparison. Deputy shift data showed absenteeism reached 12.7 per cent during the Overwatch 2 rollout in 2022, almost 94 per cent higher than on baseline trading days.
Australia’s Fair Work Ombudsman has also addressed leave options in social media posts, outlining situations including caring responsibilities, emergencies and giving birth. It said workers can ask for unpaid leave for other reasons if they do not qualify under the National Employment Standards, but they need their employer’s agreement.
“There’s no actual minimum entitlement to it, so you’ll need to reach an agreement with your employer to use unpaid leave within these situations,” the Ombudsman advised.
Soloducho’s estimate is at least $70 million, based on a scenario in which one in 100 Australian workers takes a sick day.
