Rockstar’s upcoming release of Grand Theft Auto VI is expected to be a major commercial event, with multiple outlets also focusing on its potential economic impact through lost work time. Metro, Vice and Fox News all cite estimates suggesting around 1.5 million Americans could take time off work on release day.
The coverage links this expected absence to workers using sick days or PTO (paid time off) to play the game. Metro and Fox News both reference a broader cost to the economy, with Metro describing potential costs to ordinary firms over $1 billion. Vice adds additional context about demand, citing estimated pre-orders of about 6 million copies, including 4.8 million for PS5.
While the outlets largely agree on the headline figure for potential missed work, they differ in emphasis: Metro leads with the sick-day angle and the estimated business cost, Vice combines the work-time estimate with pre-order numbers, and Fox News foregrounds the “economic hit” framing tied to November 19.
