Staff at a Russian factory have been offered time off to play GTA 6 on launch day, but there is an asterisk — the workers must prove to their boss that they actually played.
Fuel-equipment maker Benza, in the similarly-sounding Russian town of Penza, has announced on 9 November that employees planning to play on 19 November can take an extra day off, regardless of their position.
Founder Mikhail Kolesnikov later told Telegram-based media Ostorozhno Novosti that staff must notify management and demonstrate that they can play, for example, by proving they have a proper console and the game.
Benza, according to Kolesnikov, has 240 employees and is experimenting with gaming leave for the first time. He has heard from several employees who are interested, but the exact number of applicants is still unknown. Not a factory shutdown, but individual fans are covered by the offer.
Up close: Take-Two CEO: GTA 6 preorders are «unprecedented and astonishing»
GTA 6 leave goes beyond Penza
Similarly, on November 19th, Burger Motorsports, a California-based auto parts specialist, announced a company-wide pause in response to employee warnings that they would be unavailable. Some of them were reportedly «in Vice City» according to GamesRadar+’s reporting of the notice.
Canadian truck maker Edison Motors allowed more time to explore. It announced a pause on 19 and 20 November, with its notice joking that employees would be «conducting important research in Vice City.»
REPORT: 83,000 days have been booked off work in the UK to play GTA 6 on launch. This could cost businesses over £12,000,000. source: @BrightHR_ https://t.co/rUYsYj1JEs
— T5G (@Top5Gamingx) November 9, 2026
Read more: Elden Ring film budget nears $200mn, setting new A24 record
Offering more is the US Army’s stance. Reenlistments of two to six years are required for eligible soldiers in the 9th Brigade Engineer Battalion at Fort Stewart, Georgia, to be granted a four-day pass around the release, according to ABC News, citing a memo and an Army spokesperson.
Talking to the boss about taking Thursday off is shorter than that.
For anyone negotiating their trip to Vice City, Rockstar lists GTA VI for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on 19 November. Digital pre-loading starts on 10 November — one job worth finishing before the day off begins.
