Updated

Updated · Push Square · Nov 12

Pocketpair Grants Staff 5-Day Holiday for GTA 6 Launch as Firms Brace for $1 Billion Hit

Updated

Updated · Push Square · Nov 12

Pocketpair Grants Staff 5-Day Holiday for GTA 6 Launch as Firms Brace for $1 Billion Hit

Q: Could Pocketpair's playful break to play GTA 6 secretly delay the next big updates for Palworld?

Probably not. Pocketpair’s GTA 6 break is unlikely to meaningfully delay major *Palworld* updates, based on what the studio itself has said and how the leave is structured. The “five-day holiday” sounds larger than it is: because November 21 and 22 fall on a weekend, it effectively removes three working days, from November 19, 20 and 23. That is a short, planned pause rather than an open-ended disruption. Pocketpair also publicly said update work for *Palworld* and *Craftopia* is “proceeding smoothly” and remains on schedule, a message clearly aimed at calming exactly these concerns. There is also precedent. Pocketpair previously gave staff time off for the launch of *Monster Hunter Wilds* in 2025, suggesting the company has experience building these cultural-event breaks into its workflow. In practice, a planned shutdown can be less disruptive than widespread last-minute absenteeism, especially with *GTA 6* expected to trigger a surge in leave requests across many workplaces. That said, a minor knock-on effect cannot be ruled out. Any studio-wide pause, even brief, can slow testing, approvals or patch deployment at the margins, particularly if a build was already close to release. And Pocketpair is juggling multiple pressures, including ongoing legal proceedings with Nintendo and support for both *Palworld* and *Craftopia*. But based on the available evidence, this looks more like a managed morale perk than a hidden threat to *Palworld*’s roadmap.

3 articles · Updated · Push Square · Nov 12

Pocketpair will give employees Nov. 19-23 off if they want to play Grand Theft Auto VI, turning the game's launch day into a companywide five-day break.
The Japanese studio said GTA 6's Nov. 19 release is a "historic occasion" deserving full attention, reflecting expectations that the launch will dominate gamers' time.
That demand is already spilling into workplaces: U.S. employers are estimated to lose a combined $1 billion on Nov. 19 as workers take leave or stay home to play.
Other companies are also making room for the release, with Logitech introducing a one-day "Logi Game Day" and Burger Motorsports planning a day off tied to the game.