Playqub Launches Calculator Estimating GTA6 Launch Day Impact on UK Workplace Output

A new model built on ONS and Ofcom data puts the UK’s lost output on GTA 6’s 19 November launch day at about £231 million. Most of the widely reported time off is booked annual leave that moves work to another day rather than losing it. London faces the biggest hit at £45.1 million.

Netherlands, 29th Oct 2026 – Playqub.it, an independent gaming website, has launched a  online calculator and regional model that estimates how the release of Grand Theft Auto VI on 19 November 2026 could affect working time and economic output across the United Kingdom.

The model combines official Office for National Statistics (ONS) employment and productivity data with Ofcom console ownership research and a published survey of UK workers who play video games. Under its central assumptions, the model estimates that time away from work on launch day could be equivalent to about £231 million of UK output, from unplanned absence such as sick leave and unpaid leave. A further £171 million relates to booked annual leave, which the model treats separately because that working time is usually rescheduled rather than lost.

The calculator allows employers, journalists and readers to change each assumption and see how the national and regional estimates respond. A separate workplace version estimates the possible effect for a single organisation based on its headcount and average pay.

Main estimates from the model

All figures are model estimates based on the stated assumptions. They are not forecasts of actual behaviour.

• About 3.66 million UK workers may be able to play GTA 6 on launch day, based on Ofcom data on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S use. The game is scheduled to launch on those two consoles only.
• Around 1.46 million workers could take some form of time off on 19 November. Of these, about 622,000 relate to booked annual leave and about 841,000 to unplanned absence.
• Unplanned absence is estimated at about £231 million of output. Including annual leave, the total value of working time affected on the day is about £402 million.
• London accounts for the largest share of the estimate, at about £45.1 million, reflecting its higher output per job (£377 per working day, against a UK average of £279). The South East follows at about £35.5 million. Together the two regions represent just over a third of the UK total.
• Northern Ireland (£5.6 million), the North East (£7.1 million) and Wales (£8.5 million) show the smallest estimates, in line with their smaller workforces.

How the model works

The model applies five steps:

1. Workforce. It starts from 34.58 million people in employment in the UK in June to August 2026 (ONS, Labour market in the regions of the UK, October 2026, table S01), split across the 12 UK regions.
2. Console users. It assumes 23% of workers personally use a games console. This is Ofcom’s figure for adults aged 16 to 74 (Ofcom Technology Tracker 2024, tables 13 to 16).
3. Compatible consoles. Ofcom reports that 31% of console households use a PlayStation 5 and 30% use an Xbox Series X|S. Because some households own both, the share with either console lies between 31% and 61%. The model uses the midpoint, 46%. This is an assumption by Playqub, not a published figure.
4. Planned time off. It applies the responses from a survey of 1,000 UK workers who play video games, published by Uswitch in October 2026: 9% said they may take sick leave, 14% may take unpaid leave and 17% would consider taking annual leave. The central estimate assumes all respondents act on these plans. The calculator lets users lower this follow-through rate.
5. Value of a working day. Each day away from work is valued at ONS gross value added per filled job for each region in 2023, the latest regional year available (ONS, Subregional productivity, table B4), divided by 253 working days. This gives £279 per working day for the UK as a whole.

The model assumes console use is the same in every region and does not include any change in productivity among people who go to work as normal. It does not include spending on the game, which partly offsets the effect on output. Using 2023 output values means the estimates are likely to be slightly conservative in cash terms.

Survey answers about possible behaviour may differ from what people actually do, and the model reports a single scenario. For this reason, Playqub has published the calculator so that each assumption can be tested, along with the full regional figures as a free CSV file.

Quote

“GTA Six is one of the most anticipated releases in years, and we wanted to give employers and readers a transparent way to think about what launch day could mean for the working week,” said Jaan D at Playqub. “Our model separates booked holiday from unplanned absence and uses official ONS data for each region. Every assumption is visible and adjustable, so anyone can test their own scenario, whether for the UK as a whole or for their own team.”

Free resources

The regional model, both calculators, the CSV data file and a regional chart are available free of charge on the Playqub website. Journalists may use the figures and chart with credit to Playqub.

About Playqub

Playqub is an independent gaming website publishing original data studies, guides and free browser games. Its games are points only and involve no money, purchases or prizes. Playqub is not affiliated with Rockstar Games or Take-Two Interactive. Grand Theft Auto is a trademark of Take-Two Interactive Software.

Media contact

Company: Playqub
Contact person: Jaan D.
Email: support@playqub.it
Website: https://playqub.it/

Media Contact

Organization: PlayQub

Contact Person: Jaan D.

Website: https://playqub.it/

Email: Send Email

Country: Netherlands

Release id: 50253

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Playqub Launches Calculator Estimating GTA6 Launch Day Impact on UK Workplace Output