GTA 6 unlocks at midnight on Thursday, November 19, and a lot of people in the UK have already booked the day off. HR software company BrightHR says Grand Theft Auto is mentioned in 4.63% of annual leave reasons for launch day, with about 83,000 days booked across November and December. If you have not asked yet, UK rules mean you are running out of time for anything longer than a long weekend. Here are the numbers, the notice deadlines and a simple plan.
Last checked on November 11, 2026. Reported Leave figures come from BrightHR’s analysis of absence data from more than 1.2 million employees at 70,000 UK businesses, as also reported by Personnel Today. They are one company’s customer data, not a national statistic. Official The notice rules are from gov.uk. Our math Deadlines and costs per day are our math.
Update, November 12: Reported Palworld developer Pocketpair is giving staff who want to play GTA 6 a special five-day leave from November 19 to 23, billed as a “business trip to Vice City”, according to Shacknews and GamesRadar+. It is one of the first studios to make GTA 6 an official company holiday.
Update, November 13: 12.5 million Americans plan time off too
Reported A YouGov survey commissioned by PCMag (2,024 US adults, 1,154 gamers, October 23–27) found that 8% of US adult gamers plan to take PTO or change their work or school schedule for GTA 6, which PCMag scales up to about 12.5 million people. Gen Z is highest at 13%; 3% plan two or more days off, 3% one full day and 2% a half day. 68% of US adults do not plan to play at release. Our math PCMag’s 12.5 million is 269.8 million US adults × 57% gamers × 8.15%, so treat it as an estimate, not a count.
Update, November 11: some employers are giving the day
Official Logitech announced “Logi Game Day”, a dedicated day off for employees to play games, in a press release, and its Logitech G brand will host a streaming event at its San Jose office on November 19. Reported Fortune reports the perk covers all of Logitech’s roughly 7,000 employees and can be used any day until November 10, 2027, so it is not tied to GTA 6 launch day. Official Separately, a Virgin Media O2 poll published on November 11 found 50% of working respondents who plan to play expect to take some time off, and 33% at least two days. More on the record pre-load traffic in GTA 6 pre-loads break UK broadband records.
The UK numbers
| Figure | Value | Source | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share of Nov 19 leave reasons mentioning GTA | 4.63% (“nearly 5%”) | BrightHR, Personnel Today | Reported |
| Leave days booked for GTA, Nov and Dec | ~83,000 | BrightHR estimate | Estimate |
| Value of that leave to employers | £12.4M (£3.14M on Nov 19) | BrightHR estimate | Estimate |
| Rise in leave booked, Thu Nov 19 vs Thu Nov 12 | +7.89% (vs +2.51% for the same Thursdays in 2025) | BrightHR | Reported |
| Longest GTA booking | A full fortnight | BrightHR | Reported |
| UK workers expected to take time off on Nov 19 | 2.56 million | Uswitch survey via Personnel Today | Estimate |
Reported BrightHR’s own post also says 0.46% of leave reasons mentioned GTA, against 0.18% for honeymoons, 0.19% for graduations and 0.06% for Disney trips. That 0.46% figure does not match the 4.63% quoted elsewhere in the same release, so treat the exact share with care. Both versions agree that GTA beat honeymoons by more than two to one.
Our math £12.4 million across 83,000 days works out at about £149 of paid leave per day. At that rate, BrightHR’s £3.14 million launch-day figure is roughly 21,000 days of leave on November 19 alone.
Who is taking time off
| Generation | Where GTA ranks among Nov 19 leave reasons |
|---|---|
| Millennials | Top five (behind holidays, birthdays, family visits and weddings) |
| Gen Z | Sixth |
| Gen X | Ninth |
| Boomers | Not in the list |
Reported BrightHR data. A separate Uswitch survey reported by Personnel Today found 54% of GTA players plan to change their work schedule on release day: 17% would consider annual leave, 14% unpaid leave and 9% sick leave even if they are not ill.
UK notice deadlines for GTA 6 leave
Official gov.uk says the general notice for leave is “at least twice as long as the amount of leave a worker wants to take, plus 1 day”, and an employer can refuse with notice equal to the leave requested plus 1 day. Your contract can set different rules, and it wins if it does.
| Plan | Days of leave | Default notice | Ask by (our math) | Time off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launch day only (Thu Nov 19) | 1 | 3 days | Monday, November 16 | Thu + evening |
| Long weekend (Thu Nov 19 to Fri Nov 20) | 2 | 5 days | Saturday, November 14 (in practice Friday Nov 13) | 4 days, Thu to Sun |
| Thu to Mon (Nov 19 to Nov 23) | 3 | 7 days | Thursday, November 12 (tomorrow) | 5 days |
| Full week (Thu Nov 19 to Wed Nov 25) | 5 | 11 days | Sunday, November 8 (already passed) | 7 days |
Our math Counted in calendar days from the default rule, as in gov.uk’s example of 3 days’ notice for 1 day off. Many employers approve shorter notice, but they do not have to.
How much GTA 6 can you play on a long weekend?
Our math Taking Thursday and Friday off gives you four days. At eight hours a day that is 32 hours, roughly 40% of the 80-hour figure circulating for the story (see how long is GTA 6). A single launch day at eight hours is about a tenth of it. GTA 6 unlocks at midnight local time on November 19 in the UK (release times), so a Thursday off really means a late Wednesday night plus Thursday.
A quick checklist before you log off
- Request the leave in writing through your HR system today; check your contract for its notice rules.
- Do not call in sick if you are not ill. It is a disciplinary risk, and annual leave or unpaid leave is the honest route.
- Make sure the preload is finished before Wednesday night; the game is up to 212 GB (download times).
- Run through the GTA 6 day one checklist so the first hour is spent playing, not updating.
- Working from home on the day? Keep the console off until your hours are done.
Key takeaways
- BrightHR data suggests GTA is behind roughly 1 in 20 UK leave requests for November 19.
- For one day off under the default UK rules, ask by Monday, November 16. For a Thursday-to-Monday break, ask by tomorrow.
- A Thursday plus Friday off is the best value: two days of leave for a four-day GTA weekend.
FAQ
How many people are taking time off for GTA 6?
BrightHR says GTA is mentioned in 4.63% of UK leave reasons for November 19, 2026, with about 83,000 leave days booked for it across November and December. A Uswitch survey estimates 2.56 million UK workers will take time off on launch day.
How much notice do I need to book a day off in the UK?
By default, at least twice the length of the leave plus 1 day, so 3 days’ notice for 1 day off, according to gov.uk. Your employment contract can set different notice rules.
When should I book annual leave for GTA 6 launch day?
Under the default UK rule, request November 19 off by Monday, November 16. For November 19 and 20, ask by November 14, which in practice means Friday, November 13.
Can my employer refuse leave for GTA 6?
Yes. An employer can refuse a leave request by giving notice equal to the leave requested plus 1 day, for example 2 days’ notice for a 1-day request. They cannot stop you taking your leave at all, only at a certain time.
What time does GTA 6 unlock in the UK?
At midnight local time on Thursday, November 19, 2026, as part of Rockstar’s rolling midnight launch on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
Keep reading on HUDWire
Sources
- PCMag: 12.5 million plan to take time off for GTA 6 (YouGov survey, Nov 11, 2026)
- Shacknews: Palworld developer is giving employees a five-day holiday to play GTA 6
- GamesRadar+: Palworld devs get 5 days off to play GTA 6
- Fortune: Logitech is giving 7,000 employees the day off to play video games (Nov 10, 2026)
- Logitech: Logi Game Day gives employees a dedicated day off (press release)
- BrightHR: GTA VI is coming, are your staff planning a getaway? (Nov 2026)
- Personnel Today: 5% of annual leave requests mention Grand Theft Auto (Nov 5, 2026)
- gov.uk: Holiday entitlement, booking time off