GTA 6 Is So Big That Gamers Are Already Taking Days Off Work

GTA 6 isn't even out yet, but some gamers are already planning their lives around its launch. Players are booking days off work, preparing food in advance and clearing their schedules so they can spend as much time as possible in Vice City.

And things have gone even further in the US Army. One unit is offering soldiers four days off around the GTA 6 launch if they reenlist.

The game arrives on November 19, and for some players that date has basically become a holiday.

One 36-year-old software engineer and father of three plans to take five days off. He wants to go to bed at around 8 PM the night before launch, wake up early and start playing while the rest of his family is still asleep.

Another player, a 30-year-old medical sales worker, plans to take an entire week off. She is even preparing meals ahead of time so she won't have to waste gaming time cooking.

Then there's a Brazilian player who plans to take 10 days off. Surprisingly, that's actually less than the 20 days he took when Red Dead Redemption 2 came out in 2018.

This is where the GTA 6 hype gets even more interesting.

The 9th Brigade Engineer Battalion at Fort Stewart, Georgia is offering a special four-day pass to eligible soldiers who reenlist between August 1 and November 14.

The days off are planned around the November 19 release of GTA 6.

This isn't something offered to every US soldier, and there's obviously a catch. Soldiers have to sign a new contract and stay in the Army for another two to six years. Still, the offer seems to be working. 44 of the 130 eligible soldiers have already signed up.

The idea came from a career counselor who thought the unit could use the interests of younger soldiers to help with reenlistment. It sounds almost like a joke, but the offer is very real.

I can't remember another game release creating this kind of reaction months before it even arrived. Taking a day or two off for a game isn't new, but people are now planning full vacations around GTA 6. When even an Army unit uses the game as part of a reenlistment deal, you know the hype has reached another level.

It also makes sense when you look at how long fans have waited. GTA 5 came out back in 2013, so players have spent more than a decade waiting for the next main game.

Rockstar has already delayed GTA 6 more than once, but the studio now says the November 19, 2026 date will hold.

If it does, don't expect November 19 to feel like a normal Thursday. Judging by the number of people already booking time off, a lot of workplaces may suddenly become very quiet.