Technology · Gaming

GTA 6 Launch Cost: $1 Billion Productivity Hit Estimated for US

Economists and HR platforms estimate the Grand Theft Auto VI release on November 19 could cost the US about $1 billion in lost productivity, the UK about £403.5 million and Israel up to NIS 170 million, as workers book time off to play.

By Elena Vance

November 15, 20262 min read

GTA 6 Launch Cost: $1 Billion Productivity Hit Estimated for US — GTA 6 Launch Cost

The GTA 6 launch cost to the US economy could reach about $1 billion in lost productivity on Thursday, November 19, 2026, according to an estimate by economist Jose García Montalvo, as workers take time off to play Grand Theft Auto VI.

Montalvo, a professor at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona, estimated in late October that roughly 1.5 million American workers, about 1% of the US workforce, will miss work on release day. He based his figure on average annual output of about $70,000 per US worker. That implies a 2% drop in labor productivity for the day.

UK and Israel estimates

In Britain, price comparison company Uswitch surveyed consumers and employees. It estimated that 2.56 million workers would miss work on the release date, costing the economy about £403.5 million, roughly half a billion dollars.

For Israel, there is no official estimate. A projection model that combines labor market data with cultural factors puts absences at between 42,000 and 95,000 workers, or 1% to 2.1% of the workforce. It values the lost output at NIS 75 million to NIS 170 million for the day.

Israel's workweek ends on Thursday. One sick or vacation day would give employees three straight days of gaming, from Thursday through Saturday. The model expects absences to cluster among recently discharged soldiers, students and workers aged 22 to 35, especially in high-tech and business services.

Who is expected to skip work

Montalvo noted that most of those expected to miss work are men aged 18 to 30. He said the technology sector is likely to feel the greatest impact.

HR platforms BambooHR in the US and BrightHR in Britain track millions of employees. They reported an unusually sharp rise, of tens of percent, in approved vacation requests for November 19 compared with the previous year. A BambooHR survey found Gen Z employees will account for about 32% of those taking leave for the launch. Millennials aged 30 to 45 follow at 27%.

Employers respond

Some companies are choosing to embrace the day. Logitech, the Swiss-American gaming and computer equipment maker, announced it will give all 7,000 of its employees worldwide a planned paid day off. It calls the initiative Logi Game Day.

Ratings company Worldworthy will let employees take up to three paid days off for the launch. The company reasons that workers on approved leave return more committed than those who try to play in secret while working from home.

Israeli employers have also begun preparing for a possible wave of sudden sick days, according to the estimates. The high-tech sector employs about 400,000 people, many with flexible hours, accrued vacation and remote-work options.