GTA VI Launch Could Cost US Economy $1 Billion in Productivity

Grand Theft Auto VI is set to launch November 19 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, one week before Thanksgiving. Economist José García Montalvo estimates about 1.5 million U.S. workers may skip work or lose focus, a roughly 2 percent productivity dip he links to about $1 billion in lost output using average yearly U.S. worker output of about $70,000. BambooHR data from more than 30,000 companies shows PTO requests for that date running 9 to 17 percent above historical averages. Young men ages 18 to 30 and technology workers are expected to be most affected. BambooHR told GameSpot the surge is consistent at every checkpoint it can measure but cannot confirm GTA VI as the sole cause. The projection depends on how many employees are absent, how long they stay away, and workplace effects. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick told shareholders the company expects more than $1 billion in operating cash flow this fiscal year; Rockstar North, the lead studio, is based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Newzoo estimates at least 37 million copies in the opening week and global first-week retail bookings as high as $4.5 billion.