GTA 6 launch could cost the US economy $1 billion in missed work, economist estimates
An economics professor estimates that about 1.5 million Americans could skip work on November 19 to play GTA 6, costing around $1 billion in a single day. It is a model, not a measurement.
The launch of Grand Theft Auto VI on November 19 could cost the US economy around $1 billion in lost productivity in a single day, according to an estimate by José García Montalvo, an economics professor at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona, reported by 20minutos, GamesRadar+ and NewsNation.
His calculation assumes that about 1.5 million American workers skip work on launch day, multiplied by an average output of roughly $70,000 per worker per year. According to the estimate, workers aged 18 to 30 would account for most of the absences, and tech companies would feel the impact the most.
A survey commissioned by the gaming company GameSquare among 1,000 employed US gamers points in the same direction: 10% said they plan to skip work on launch day, and 42% expect their productivity at work to suffer around the release.
It is important to read the figure for what it is: a model built on assumptions, not a measured result, and the real impact will not be known until after launch. In Australia, the workplace regulator has already reminded employees that sick leave does not cover a game launch, while annual leave does. GTA 6 launches on November 19, 2026, on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
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