November 19 is the date that Rockstar has marked in red, and a good part of its audience too. A survey commissioned by PCMAG and conducted by YouGov estimates that about 8% of adult players in the United States plan to ask for free paid time or reorganize their work or school hours to play GTA 6 as soon as it is available.
That 8% translates into an estimate of 12.5 million players. It is convenient to read it for what it is: an extrapolation from a sample, not a census or an official Rockstar figure.
How is the intention to miss
The survey was done online with 2,024 American adults, of which 1,154 identified themselves as players. Fieldwork was extended between October 23 and 27.
Within the group willing to move their agenda, 3% plan to take two days or more, another 3% a full day and 2% half a day or a change of working day. For generations, Z is the most determined: 13% of its members plan to change their schedules. There are also differences by gender, with 9% of men compared to 7% of women.
The rest of those consulted move away from enthusiasm. 68% of the country’s adults assure that they do not plan to play the title in its premiere, 14% will fit it into their usual routine and 4% will clear afternoons and weekends instead of asking permission.
two polls with percentages that do not compare
The 8% figure coexists with another study, the so-called “Grand Theft Auto effect” of Gamesquare, which raises the players who would miss work on the day of the launch to 10% and 30% who plan to ask for a day off. Of the latter, 36% would resort to sick leave as an excuse. The same work indicates that 42% believe that they will perform less in their position due to the arrival of the game.
They are not comparable data. Gamesquare surveyed 1,000 full-time American players online between 18 and 62 between September 23 and 24, starting from an initial sample of 1,612 workers, and published the results on October 20. PCMag and YouGov asked adults in general and on different dates. In addition, both studies measure stated intentions: there is still no way of knowing how many people will really be missing.
A premiere reserved for the new generation
GTA 6 will arrive exclusively on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, which helps explain another survey data: 7% of adults plan to renew their equipment specifically for this premiere or another similar one. Consoles are, therefore, the only gateway to the new Rockstar map, which recovers the nostalgia of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
With the date on the calendar, the doubt is no longer if there will be people making room on their agenda, but how much they will end up doing it. What really happens on November 19 will not be picked up by any survey.
