Managers have been warned about an impending “roster crush” as gamers scramble to secure leave or prepare to call in sick for the release of Grand Theft Auto VI.
The latest entry in Rockstar’s decorated series, which comes 13 years after its last, will drop players into the fictional reimagining of Florida and the Miami-like Vice City — and expectations are sky-high.
“Grand Theft Auto releases, at least the last three or four, have always been big cultural moments and I don’t expect this to be any different,” UniSQ interactive media expert Dr Matthew Thompson told 7NEWS.com.au.
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“I expect we’ll see a lot of people taking the day off work or waiting for it to download because it’s a massive game.”
One economist estimates the latest open-world chaos simulator could pull 1.5 million Americans away from work on November 19 — either through annual leave or the classic sickie — and result in a $1 billion blow to productivity, the International Business Times reports.
Staff at workforce management platform Deputy dug into previous blockbuster releases Overwatch 2, Baldur’s Gate 3 and Elden Ring to predict the carnage that could be coming to offices and worksites around Australia.
It said a public launch of this scale can push absenteeism up by 90 per cent of normal levels.
“The real trap for businesses is the day-before download spike,” Deputy’s chief technology officer Ciaran Hale said.
“Shift workers clear their schedules 24 hours before a game releases so they can play the second the servers open.
“With GTA VI’s level of anticipation, it’s likely to cause a major, multi-day scheduling crunch across the frontline workforce.”
University of the Sunshine Coast game studies researcher Dr Jacqueline Burgess told 7NEWS.com.au earlier this year that “GTA VI is expected to be one of the biggest, if not the biggest, releases in video game history”.
The hype is such that even Australia’s workplace regulator has chimed in with a guide for gamers wanting time off.
“Let’s pretend GTA VI is coming out tomorrow but you don’t have any paid leave available to play on launch day. Can you take unpaid leave?” the Fair Work Ombudsman said on Instagram.
“Unpaid leave is not one specific catch-all entitlement.
“In some situations, you have a specific right to unpaid leave under the National Employment Standards.”
Those include unpaid carer’s leave, community service leave, and unpaid parental leave — although these scenarios do not apply to gamers.
If you really want time off but haven’t banked the annual leave, the ombudsman’s advice is to “ask your employer” to take an unpaid spell.
“There’s no actual minimum entitlement to it, so you’ll need to reach an agreement with your employer to use unpaid leave in these situations,” it said.
Bathurst maintenance fitter Matthew Murray plans to take five days off work, having already pencilled it in with management.
“My boss doesn’t know the exact reason (I’m taking leave),” Murray told 7NEWS.com.au.
“My girlfriend will be in China for work so I’ll have absolutely no interruptions.”
After the game was delayed twice, its release date will now fall on Murray’s birthday.
“It’s a special feeling. Best 30th birthday present ever,” he said.
US army soldiers, meanwhile, have been offered a four-day pass to play the game on the condition they re-enlist for another two to six years.
“I think it’s one of those games you will really have to sit down and play through and take the time to play through,” Thompson said.
“That’s one of the things Rockstar is known for — they make really long, often quite slow-burn games, and … I don’t expect it to be one of those games you can go through in 10 hours or 12 hours.
“I expect it to be huge.”
GTA VI has already delivered an estimated $US675 million ($A963 million) in pre-order revenue, with close to seven million units sold weeks out from launch.
Rockstar has disputed reports its new title cost more than the $US1.5 billion Burj Khalifa skyscraper in Dubai to make, but has not revealed its production budget.
“We’re now seeing video games really pushing the envelope … to spend that sort of coin with the expectation that they’ll get that and then some in return,” Thompson said.
“I think it’s going to be really, really interesting to see what Rockstar consider to be a success, and what Rockstar do in the next four or five months.
“I certainly don’t think this will be the only thing they’ll put out around Grand Theft Auto VI.”
GTA VI will not feature online multiplayer at launch but given the mode was a money-spinner for GTA V is expected at some stage.
Rockstar’s parent company Take-Two Interactive has forecast operating cash flow in “excess of $US1 billion” this fiscal year, primarily driven by GTA VI.
