Can You Get the Day Off for GTA 6? Australia’s Workplace Watchdog Weighs In. Here’s How It Works in NZ

GTA 6 hype has officially reached government level. Australia’s workplace regulator, the Fair Work Ombudsman, has put out a tongue-in-cheek graphic asking: what if GTA 6 came out tomorrow and you had no paid leave left? Can you take unpaid leave to play it?

Their answer: Australian workers only have a right to unpaid leave in specific situations, like caring for someone, dealing with an emergency or having a baby. GTA 6 is none of those (the graphic has fun with that, putting a copy of the game on an ultrasound screen). Otherwise you just ask your boss nicely and hope they say yes.

So how does it work on our side of the ditch? Here’s the New Zealand version.

First, the dates

GTA 6 launches on Thursday 19 November on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. According to the PlayStation Store listings, it unlocks at midnight local time, region by region, and New Zealand goes first in the world: 12:00am NZDT on the 19th. That’s roughly 18 hours ahead of the US West Coast, so much so that overseas players are already talking about the “New Zealand method” (making a Kiwi PSN account) to play early. Rockstar hasn’t officially confirmed the times.

No public holiday lands on the 19th (sorry, Canterbury, Show Day is the week before), so if you want the day, you’ll need leave.

Annual leave: your best bet

• After 12 months with your employer you’re entitled to at least four weeks of annual holidays a year.
• If you’ve got the leave, Employment New Zealand is clear that your employer can’t unreasonably refuse a request to use it. They can still say no if there’s a genuine reason, like half the team asking for the same day.
• Ask early and in writing. You won’t be the only one wanting 19 November off.
• Got alternative holidays (days in lieu) banked from working a public holiday? Those are another option. When you take them is agreed with your employer.

No leave left? Ask nicely

Same as in Australia, there’s no automatic right to time off for a game:

• Leave without pay isn’t an entitlement in New Zealand. It only happens if your employer agrees.
• Not at 12 months yet? You can ask to take annual holidays in advance, but that’s up to your employer too.

And the sickie?

Sick leave is for when you, your partner or a dependant are sick or injured. A Vice City bender doesn’t count. Your boss can ask for proof of sickness: if you’re off for three or more days in a row you pay for the medical certificate, and for shorter absences they can still ask if they cover the cost. Claiming sick leave you’re not entitled to can turn into a disciplinary matter, so it’s not worth risking your job over a game that’ll still be there on Saturday.

Side note: the Holidays Act is being replaced by the Employment Leave Act 2026, which counts leave in hours instead of days. It doesn’t kick in until August 2028, so none of that changes your GTA plans.

Other Kiwi need-to-knows

• It’s R18 here. The Classification Office has rated GTA VI R18, with warnings that include sex scenes and, yes, the nudity you’ve heard about. It’s illegal to sell or supply an R18 game to anyone under 18, and that includes parents buying it for their kids.
• Price: NZ$139.95 for the Standard Edition and NZ$174.95 for the Ultimate Edition.
• Still no PC version. If you’re PC-only, here’s why Xbox streaming isn’t the answer either.

Our take

The Thursday launch is a gift: book the Thursday and Friday as annual leave now and you’ve got a four-day weekend in Leonida, with a midnight start while the rest of the world is still waiting. Be nice to your boss, don’t pull a sickie, and we’ll see you in the Discord at 12:01am.

This is general info, not legal advice. Your employment agreement or workplace policy might have its own rules, so check it, or have a look at employment.govt.nz.

Sources: IGN (Fair Work Ombudsman graphic), Employment New Zealand on annual holidays, leave without pay, sick leave and the Employment Leave Act 2026, VICE (release times), PSU (ratings), Stevivor (NZ pricing).