Uswitch survey suggests 2.56 million UK workers may take leave for GTA VI
Quick summary
A Uswitch survey covered 1,000 employed UK adults who play video games. Among respondents planning to play GTA VI, 17% would consider annual leave and 9% may take sick leave despite not being ill for the November 19 launch. The projected 2.56 million absences and £403.5 million figure are extrapolations, not measured outcomes.
OnePoll conducted the survey for Uswitch from September 22 to 29, 2026. More than half of the respondents described as GTA VI players, 54%, said they planned some change to their work schedule. Among remote workers, 30% said they might play during working hours.
Uswitch projected almost 1.68 million annual-leave users and 887,515 workers potentially taking sick leave despite not being ill. Its calculation used a UK working population of 34.48 million, an estimate that 65% play video games and a finding that 44% plan to play GTA VI. The £403.5 million total values 20.51 million hours at the UK median full-time hourly wage of £19.67; it includes lawful annual leave and is not a forecast of lost revenue or productivity. Published reports do not provide the full questionnaire, weighting or national extrapolation method.