Nearly 900,000 UK workers expected to pull a sickie for GTA VI: survey
Key Points
- Uswitch estimated 887,515 UK workers may fake sick for GTA VI’s 19 November launch
- Up to 2.56 million workers could take annual or sick leave on release day
- Uswitch valued the lost working time at around £403.5 million
- 30% of remote workers may play GTA VI during working hours
- 21% of players expect to be more tired and distracted at work
Almost 900,000 UK workers could call in sick to play GTA VI on 19 November, according to a new survey conducted Uswitch.
The broadband comparison site surveyed 1,000 employed UK adults who play video games, through OnePoll between 22 and 29 September 2026.
It found that 9% of GTA VI players may take sick leave despite not being unwell, which Uswitch estimated at 887,515 workers across the UK. A further 17% would consider taking annual leave for the launch, while 14% said they may take unpaid leave.
Uswitch said the annual and sick leave plans could see 2.56 million UK workers take time off on release day, including almost 1.68 million on annual leave.
The firm based its estimates on a UK working population of 34.48 million, of whom it said 65% play video games and 44% plan to play GTA VI.
More than half (54%) of GTA VI players said they plan to change their working schedules to make time for the game on launch day.
Working from home also looks set to blur the line for many players, with 30% of remote workers admitting they may play during working hours.
Uswitch calculated that the time off adds up to 20.51 million missed working hours, based on an eight-hour working day.
Using the UK full-time median hourly pay of £19.67, the firm put the value of that lost time at around £403.5 million.
Annual leave accounts for £263.8 million of the total, while the potential “sick” days account for a further £139.7 million.
The game could also hit productivity among workers who turn up as normal on the day.
Around one in five players (21%) expect to be more tired at work after playing, and the same proportion expect to be distracted.
More than a quarter (26%) expect to spend time discussing the game with colleagues, while 16% expect to be less productive.
Another 17% said they may change their working hours to fit in time with the game.
“GTA VI is one of the biggest gaming releases in years, so for players planning to take time off, the last thing you want is to lose precious gaming time to a slow download, connection problems, or a console that needs updating,” said Max Beckett, broadband expert at Uswitch.
“Checking your broadband speed, clearing enough storage, and making sure your console and games are fully updated ahead of launch can all help you get straight into the action on release day,” Beckett said.
