Logitech Gives Employees Day Off to Play GTA 6 on Launch Day
Logitech is giving its roughly 7,000 employees worldwide a paid day to play video games, timed to the November 19 launch of Grand Theft Auto 6. Staff can also save the day until 2027. A US Army unit and two smaller firms have offered similar breaks.
Logitech gives employees a day off to play video games, and the company expects many to pick November 19, when Grand Theft Auto 6 launches. The program, called Logi Game Day, covers about 7,000 staff worldwide, from full-time workers to interns.
Staff do not have to take the launch day. Each employee can use the day off at any point from now until this time next year, so anyone can save it for 2027. They can play whatever game they like.
A streaming event at the office
Logitech is also hosting a streaming event on November 19, led by Robin Piispanen, general manager of its gaming brand, Logitech G. Chief executive Hanneke Faber plans to play herself, but she will still go into the office for the event, which will be turned into a gaming lounge.
"I'm ready for some fun and (friendly) competition," Faber said.
Chief people officer Elaine Laird plays the mobile puzzle game Block Blast against coworkers. Chief financial officer Matteo Anversa plans to spend his day on Forza using a simulation racing rig.
What Logitech says about play
"It's time to retire the stereotype that gaming is a waste of time," Faber said in a statement. She said the company sees how engagement in play supports performance at work.
Laird made a similar case. "Play is not the opposite of work," she said, arguing that people return with clearer focus after time to log off and decompress.
Logitech pointed to a study it released last month. It surveyed 900 adults and 100 gamers across nine countries, and four in five respondents agreed that gaming makes them more confident handling real-life challenges and helps them stay calm under pressure.
A Logitech spokesperson did not hide the obvious draw. "If employees choose to spend their Gaming Time Off exploring Vice City on launch day, you won't hear any complaints from us," the spokesperson said.
Other employers join in
Logitech is the largest company to offer a break tied to the launch, but not the only one. The 9th Brigade Engineer Battalion of the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Georgia, offered soldiers a four-day leave from November 20 to 23 if they reenlisted.
Burger Motorsports, a Southern California company, said on Instagram it would pause operations on November 19. Canada's Edison Motors dropped plans to have staff in on November 19 and 20, creating a four-day weekend.
Grand Theft Auto 6 is the first main entry in the series in 13 years. Its predecessor sold 235 million units. Publisher Take-Two Interactive raised its fiscal year 2027 outlook to an estimated $8.2 billion in net bookings in its quarterly earnings report on Monday.
Faber expects the day to pay off. "We see firsthand how Logitech employees who sharpen their skills in-game translate directly back to work and problem-solving," Piispanen said.
