A new YouGov survey found that 8% of adults in the U.S. intend to take time off work or shift their schedules to play Grand Theft Auto VI, which is scheduled to release on November 19. That share works out to about 12.5 million people.
A vacation day isn’t the limit for everyone. The survey also counted people who plan to skip school altogether so they can play Rockstar Games’ next title.
Gen Z leads the way on calling in
Younger respondents were more likely to say yes. Among Gen Z, 13% said they intend to adjust their routine for the launch. Men were a little more willing than women to do the same.
The survey was commissioned by PCMag, which released the findings on the 11th in an article titled “Taking Off Work or Skipping School to Play GTA 6? So Are 12.5 Million Other People.”
A console purchase is still on some lists
Grand Theft Auto VI will be available only on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, and the survey reflects that. Seven percent of adults said they intend to buy a console to play it.
Most players are taking a calmer approach (HR departments can relax for now). The majority of gamers in the survey have no plans to take time off or miss class. They’ll fit the game into their usual free time.
How the survey was conducted
YouGov Plc gathered the responses online from October 23 to 27. It polled 2,024 adults in total, and 1,154 of them qualified as gamers.
These numbers describe what people said they plan to do. The number who actually phone in sick on launch day could be different.
Even so, roughly one in 12 American adults told a pollster they expect to rework their week at work or school for a video game. For Gen Z, the figure is nearer to one in eight.