‘GTA VI’ Fever Is Real: Gamers Are Torching Sick Days, Budgets and Sleep Just to Play Early

Every few years, a game arrives that stops being a product and turns into a cultural event. Fans plan around it, employers brace for it, and the jokes start months ahead of release.

‘Grand Theft Auto VI’ is firmly in that territory. Rockstar’s long-awaited return to Vice City has been delayed twice, and the wait for a mainline sequel has stretched to roughly 13 years since ‘Grand Theft Auto V.’

That sets the scene for a viral claim that a striking number of Americans would give up sex, and even their pets, for a chance to play ‘GTA VI’ early. The headline is deliberately extreme, but it echoes what real surveys are showing about how far fans are willing to go.

Rockstar has confirmed that ‘GTA VI’ arrives on Thursday, Nov 19, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. The game was first expected in fall 2025, then moved to May 26, 2026, before the second delay pushed it to November. Rockstar said the extra time was for polish.

Pre-loading is scheduled to begin on Nov 12. A PC version is widely expected in 2027, but no official statement backs that up.

Anticipation has not cooled. A Netflix extended look at the game reportedly reached 31.1 million views in its first few days.

The most eye-catching data comes from a GameSquare survey of 1,000 full-time US employees who identify as gamers. It found that 30% were considering taking time off for the launch, and among that group, 36% said they would call in sick.

Respondents planned a median of 15 hours of gameplay during the first weekend, rising to 20 hours for serious gamers. Eighty percent said they would consider staying up all night to play.

The Wall Street Journal reported that many full-time workers are saving vacation days for the release. One software engineer and father of 3 said he plans to take 5 full days off.

The survey found that 84% of respondents intend to buy the game, and 26% ranked it as their top spending priority this fall. Seventy-two percent said they planned to reduce spending elsewhere to afford the game and related purchases.

Leisure time is also on the chopping block. Seventy percent said they might skip sports they normally watch, and 42% said they would be less likely to watch NFL games the first weekend after release.

Thanksgiving is not safe either. According to GameSquare’s report, 83% of respondents said the game could change their Thanksgiving plans, with 50% expecting more downtime gaming.

Circana’s PlayerPulse tracking tells a similar story. It reported that 29% of US console and PC gamers intend to buy ‘GTA VI,’ the highest purchase intent it has recorded for a video game.

Pre-orders have reportedly surged to nearly 5 million copies, according to one report. Not every number should be read as a forecast, though. Intent is not the same as sales, and the GameSquare sample covers only employed gamers, not all Americans.

Even so, the direction is clear. Few games generate this kind of planning before a single copy ships.

The game’s romance system has also become a talking point. Trailers and previews show protagonists Jason and Lucia holding hands, kissing and exchanging messages, with those interactions shaping their relationship.

Some TikTok users have argued that it comes close to betraying a real-life partner, and some say they would not let a significant other play it. A YouGov poll of 4,000 adults found that only 6% consider in-game romance a form of cheating.

That debate is part of why the sacrifice-themed headlines resonate. They exaggerate a real mood: the game feels important enough to inconvenience everyday life.

The ‘Grand Theft Auto’ series has always been more than a game. ‘GTA V’ stayed in the top 20 best-selling video games in the US for 13 consecutive years, from 2013 to 2025.

That staying power helps explain the frenzy. After more than a decade of waiting, the release feels like a shared event rather than a simple purchase.

For employers, partners and pet owners, the best advice may be to plan ahead. November 19 is coming whether anyone is ready or not.

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