GTA 6 launch could drain $1 billion from US economy — this is how

( NewsNation ) — As the video game industry prepares for the release of Grand Theft Auto VI next month, the highly anticipated launch could have a significant economic impact, with many Americans saying they plan to call out sick to play it.

The International Business Times reported that economics professor José García Montalvo estimates a mass sick day tied to the release of Grand Theft Auto VI could cost the U.S. economy nearly $1 billion.

Montalvo calculated the figure using an estimated 1 1/2 million workers calling out sick and an average annual output of about $70,000 per worker, according to the report.

The publication added that when Grand Theft Auto V was released in 2013, reports found that as many as 6% of workers aged 18 to 35 in cities such as Los Angeles and New York took the day off to play the game.

Fans of the long-running crime-action series have eagerly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI since Rockstar Games unveiled it in February 2022.

The game, currently available for preorder, costs $79.99 and will follow the adventures of a criminal couple as they navigate the fictional state of Leonida, Rockstar said .

Originally slated for release in 2025 , Grand Theft Auto VI has been delayed multiple times and serves as the long-awaited sequel to 2013’s Grand Theft Auto V.

NewsNation’s Zach Kaplan contributed to this report.