Pre-orders for GTA VI have surged to nearly 5 million copies, while a U.S. survey shows that playing games late at night reduces next-day productivity by an average of two hours.
The Wall Street Journal reported that many full-time employees are accumulating vacation days to use during the release of Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA VI) on 19 Nov 2026, creating an unofficial holiday phenomenon and prompting management at various companies to worry about a significant drop in work productivity during that period.
Bud Burruss, a software engineer and father of three, told The Wall Street Journal he plans to take five full days off to play GTA VI. He said he has informed his family that some days he will be "very busy," assuring he won’t play for 20 hours straight and neglect his role as a father, but he intends to fully focus on the game initially after its launch.
Meanwhile, Anna Ray, a medical equipment sales representative, told The Wall Street Journal that since the game’s release date has been delayed several times, if the 19 Nov date is confirmed, she plans to take a full week off.
GTA VI has been postponed twice—from the original late 2025 timeframe to 26 May 2026, and then to the current release date of 19 Nov 2026.
Regarding pre-order demand, market analysis firm Sensor Tower estimates thatglobal pre-orders for GTA VIstood at approximately 4.77 million copies as of 28 Aug 2026. About 90 percent have purchased the Ultimate Edition priced at $99.99, and roughly 77 percent of orders are for the PlayStation 5 version.
However, these figures are estimates from an external analyst and not official numbers released by Rockstar Games or Take-Two Interactive, as no exact data has been announced yet.
Expectations for GTA VI are very high due to the massive success of GTA V and the 13-year gap between the two installments.
The impact on work productivity may not be precisely measurable, but a Win.gg survey of 2,000 working-age gamers in the U.S. found that 49 percent felt their work performance declined the day after late-night gaming, losing about two hours of effective work time on average.
This phenomenon is not new; when Fallout 4 was released in 2015 after a five-year gap from its predecessor, players jokingly mentioned calling in sick on launch day. However, the buzz surrounding GTA VI is far more widespread than that of Fallout 4.