When “Grand Theft Auto VI” is released on Nov. 19, Brampton’s Lorand Zonda has no intention of tapping the brakes.
asserted
Zonda → release → brakes
The 26-year-old digital marketer and avid gamer has cleared his schedule, booked more than a week off work, and is prepared to lose himself in Vice City, the fictional coastal playground at the heart of what will likely be the biggest video game release in history.
asserted
what → clear → history
At his office, he made no secret that his getaway wouldn’t be at an all-inclusive resort, but in a virtual world on his PlayStation 5, with takeout food containers piling up by his side.
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containers → make → side
“I have no shame in it,” Zonda told the Star.
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Zonda → have → Star
“I want to maximize my time and fully focus on this masterpiece.”
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I → want → masterpiece
Across Reddit, fans are sharing stories about negotiating with employers, romantic partners and family members to carve out time for marathon gaming sessions.
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fans → share → sessions
It’s been 13 years since Rockstar Games released its last major instalment of the GTA franchise.
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Games → release → franchise
In the period since, leaked footage and teaser trailers have only fuelled expectations for the newest edition.
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footage → leak → edition
Human resources software company BambooHR found in a survey of 1,500 salaried U.S. workers that nearly one in five plan to take the day off for the “GTA VI” release.
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BambooHR → find → release
In Canada, requests for paid time off on Nov. 19 and 20 have increased by roughly seven per cent compared with the same November Thursdays and Fridays over the previous two years.
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requests → pay → years
BambooHR expects an “avalanche” of players making last-minute decisions to stay home, pointing to its survey finding that half of gamers say they plan to call in sick for major game releases.
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they → expect → releases
Charlie Herrera Vacaflor, a senior legal consultant at Toronto-based small-business HR adviser Peninsula Canada, said major cultural events have already impacted the local economy this year.
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events → base → economy
The FIFA World Cup was the biggest example, he said, with workers stepping away to catch matches.
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workers → say → matches
Those absences can be particularly disruptive to small businesses, he said, which may struggle to absorb the productivity loss of several workers at once.
uncertain
which → say → workers
“Launches like ‘GTV VI’ exacerbate costs an employer has to (take) to ensure their workers come to work and stay productive,” he said.
asserted
he → exacerbate → work
But Jennifer Lee, a senior economist at BMO Capital Markets, cautioned against assuming the gaming frenzy will translate into a major productivity hit.
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frenzy → caution → hit
Many employers have already accounted for workers’ vacation days, she said, and she’s skeptical that large numbers of the workforce will actually pretend to be sick.
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numbers → account → workforce
“If this was happening before COVID, then you would have had to call in sick,” she said.
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she → happen → COVID
“Now, people are going to just work from home.”
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people → go → home
The potential distraction could extend beyond office workers.
uncertain
distraction → extend → workers
Houston Rockets centre Steven Adams recently suggested that “GTA VI” could even affect professional sports, predicting athletes’ overall performance would “plummet” as they sidelined their training to play the game.
“Coaching as well, by the way.
uncertain
they → suggest → way
The coaching and scouts are gonna be horrendous, mate.
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coaching → go → ?
Just for November, but it should bounce back in December, hopefully.”
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it → bounce → December
For Zonda, the wait has stretched across much of his transition into adulthood.
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wait → stretch → adulthood
His father wouldn’t let him play the previous “Grand Theft Auto” — rated “M for Mature (17+)” — for years because he was too young.
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he → let → years
“Then I went to college, I started working, so much life happened,” Zonda said.
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Zonda → go → college
Like millions of others, Zonda is excited about entering the single-player open world of Leonida, a fictional state modelled after Florida, where crime syndicates have a stranglehold.
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syndicates → enter → stranglehold
The game’s protagonists, Lucia Caminos and Jason Duval, are a pair of outlaws whose romantic partnership evokes a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde.
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partnership → evoke → Bonnie
Along with robbing banks and racing cars, players can navigate them through real-world experiences, such as playing sports and working out at the gym.
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players → rob → gym
Expectations for “GTA VI” extend well beyond the gaming community.
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Expectations → extend → community
Some critics have compared its artistic ambitions to auteur-driven cinema of the 1970s, while others predict a cultural impact more akin to a Marvel or Star Wars blockbuster.
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others → compare → blockbuster
While game experts say it’s common for serious players to book vacation days around major new releases, the enthusiasm surrounding “GTA VI” is on another level.
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enthusiasm → say → level
Its predecessor, “GTA V,” generated more than $800 million (U.S.) in sales on its first day of release in 2013, reaching $1 billion (U.S.) within three days.
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predecessor → generate → days
Data analytics firm Sensor Tower estimates preorders for the new game have already surpassed $750 million across PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, its two platforms.
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preorders → estimate → PlayStation
Release delays only helped buzz
Katya Ryabova, a Toronto gaming journalist attributes the frenzy to a combination of factors.
Rockstar delayed “GTA VI” twice, from its original May 2025 release date and again from a subsequent date this year.
uncertain
Rockstar → buzz → date
The company cited development delays tied to the pandemic and the need for a rigorous final polish.
asserted
company → cite → polish
The postponements only seemed to fuel online speculation about the new game’s technological advancements, while stoking nostalgia for the hit franchise.
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postponements → seem → franchise
“(‘GTA VI’) has that breakout quality where ‘normies’ — casual gamers who may not be as embedded in the industry — will play it,” she said.
uncertain
she → have → it
Other recent games have attracted similar buzz, she added.
asserted
she → attract → buzz
Nintendo Switch 2’s “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time,” a remake of its beloved 1998 game for the N64, came out Nov. 5 and had fans lining up outside local retailers on release day.
asserted
fans → come → day
…and 13 more, not listed.
The Aporia
