Logitech Gives Its 7,000 Employees A Paid Day Off Ahead Of GTA 6 Release

Computer peripherals manufacturer Logitech is giving its 7,000 global employees a day off ahead of the highly anticipated launch of Grand Theft Auto (GTA) VI next week. The initiative, called "Logi Game Day," highlights how gaming can boost creativity, confidence, and professional growth. Under the program, all staff members, ranging from full-time employees to interns, can take one paid day off from now until this time next year to play any game they choose, according to a report in Fortune.

Logitech explained that Game Day was the natural outcome of its research showing a strong link between gaming and professional performance. 

“It's time to retire the stereotype that gaming is a waste of time,” said Hanneke Faber, Logitech's chief executive officer. “As a company designing products for work and play, we see every day how engagement in one sphere supports performance in the other.”

"For those Logi employees planning an upcoming getaway to Vice City, you no longer need to catch the ‘GTA Flu', just take your GTO," said Faber.

Faber will be joining the company's streaming event on November 19, when the San Jose headquarters will be transformed into a full-fledged gaming lounge. The date coincides with the launch of GTA VI.

A study released by the company last month, encompassing 900 adults and an additional 100 gamers across nine countries, found that four in five respondents agreed that gaming makes them more confident handling real-life challenges. It also helps them stay calm and focused in high-pressure situations.

"Play is not the opposite of work," said Elaine Laird, Logitech's chief people officer. "When people have dedicated time to log off, decompress and immerse themselves in play, they return with clearer focus, renewed energy and fresh approaches to complex challenges."

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Employees Take Leave For GTA VI

Logitech is not the only company to offer a day off ahead of GTA 6 launch. In August, the US Army offered its active-duty soldiers a four-day pass to play GTA 6 when it is released on November 19. The 3rd Infantry Division based at Fort Stewart, Georgia, said the special pass is available to any soldier who signs the reenlistment contract between August 1 and November 14.

Similarly, in June, California-based Burger Motorsports announced a temporary operational suspension on November 19.  In a memo to all staff, customers, dealers and partners, posted on Instagram, the company said it had instituted the one-day pause to accommodate an unprecedented volume of employee leave requests tied to the video game's release.

GTA 6 Release

GTA 6 arrives more than 13 years after GTA V, the second-best-selling video game of all time. According to the two trailers released so far, Lucia Caminos and Jason Duval will be the primary characters of GTA VI, inspired by the notorious American criminals Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow.

Pre-downloading went live on November 10 for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S players who have pre-ordered the game. Users need at least 210 GB of free space on their console to download the game, which will be available to play at 12 midnight local time on November 19.