'Such a Historic Occasion Deserves Our Full Attention' — Palworld Developer Pocketpair Gives Staff a Five-Day Holiday to Play GTA 6

Pocketpair, the developer behind Palworld, has granted its staff a five-day holiday to play Grand Theft Auto 6, according to coverage from PCMag UK. The move frames the game's release as such a historic occasion that it deserves the company's full attention, with employees given dedicated time away from work to engage with the title. Coverage does not yet specify the exact dates of the holiday, how many Pocketpair employees are affected, or whether the time off is paid.

PCMag UK is the outlet reporting on the trend, publishing a piece titled "Taking Off Work or Skipping School to Play GTA 6? So Are 12.5 Million Other People." The article places Pocketpair's decision within a broader pattern of people planning to step away from work or school obligations around the game's launch. Coverage does not state which other companies, if any, have adopted similar policies, nor does it identify the specific launch window for GTA 6 beyond the general timing implied by the reporting.

The context centers on the cultural weight attached to Grand Theft Auto 6, one of the most anticipated video game releases in recent memory. The figure of 12.5 million people reportedly planning to take time off work or school underscores the scale of anticipated disruption around the launch. Pocketpair's decision to institutionalize that time off for its own staff reflects how major game releases can ripple beyond players into workplace norms and scheduling decisions. Coverage does not provide historical comparisons to previous game launches or data on typical absenteeism around entertainment releases.

What to watch next depends entirely on facts not yet established in the coverage. It remains unclear whether other developers or employers will follow Pocketpair's example, how productivity or morale might be affected, or whether Rockstar Games has commented on the phenomenon. Coverage also does not indicate whether Pocketpair plans any post-launch activities tied to the holiday, such as team events or content creation around the game. Readers should treat the five-day holiday as an isolated employer decision unless further reporting emerges.