GTA 6 Absences Could Cost U.S. Economy Nearly $1B

Economics professor José García Montalvo estimates that workers calling out sick to play Grand Theft Auto VI could cost the U.S. economy nearly $1 billion. His calculation assumes an estimated 1.5 million workers miss work and uses average annual output of about $70,000 per worker, according to the report.

The Estimated Cost

Montalvo’s estimate concerns lost worker output if employees take sick days around the game’s release. It’s a projection, not a reported tally of absences or a measured loss. The report identifies two inputs in the calculation: the estimated number of workers calling out and average annual output per worker. It doesn’t provide a separate estimate of how many workdays each person would miss.

The estimate comes as the video game industry prepares for the release next month, the report said. Many Americans say they plan to call out sick. The report doesn’t give a total survey count or specify how many of those who say they plan to be absent will ultimately miss work.

A Previous Release

When Grand Theft Auto V came out in 2013, reports found that as many as 6% of workers aged 18 to 35 in cities such as Los Angeles and New York took the day off to play. That figure describes reported absences tied to the previous game, rather than confirmed plans for the new release.

The earlier reports provide a comparison as anticipation builds for the sequel. They concerned workers in a specified age range and named cities, while Montalvo’s current estimate uses a projected national number of workers calling out sick. The article doesn’t state that the earlier percentage applies to the upcoming release.

Release and Game Details

Fans have anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI since Rockstar Games unveiled it in February 2022. The game is available for preorder at $79.99, and Rockstar said it follows the adventures of a criminal couple navigating the fictional state of Leonida.

The report says the release was originally slated for 2025 and has faced multiple delays. Grand Theft Auto VI is the long-awaited sequel to Grand Theft Auto V, which came out in 2013. Montalvo’s nearly $1 billion estimate isn’t an official forecast from the government or an employer group, the article says.

Workers’ absence and estimated output drive the projected cost. The available report gives no figures on actual release-day absences, realized economic losses, or how many workers will follow through on plans to call out sick. NewsNation’s Zach Kaplan contributed to the report.