Apparently, love is patient, but GTA fans are not. Some Grand Theft Auto fans are so desperate to play GTA 6 early that more than one in five would give up sex for an entire month, while nearly one in 10 pet owners would even sacrifice their furry companions.
A survey of more than 1,300 American gamers by Unwind Media found that more than 20 per cent would go without sex for a month in exchange for playing Grand Theft Auto VI just seven days early.
Almost 10 per cent of gamers who own pets said they would be willing to give up their beloved animals for the same deal.
'One in five sexually active fans would give up sex for a month to play one week early,' the study found.
Among gamers who had already pre-ordered the title, the figures were even more extreme. Some 32 per cent said they would sacrifice sex for a month, while 13 per cent of gaming pet owners said they would give up their animals for early access.
Female gamers appeared more willing to make the trade, with 25 per cent saying they would give up sex compared with 19 per cent of male respondents.
'Your Dog?!' Internet Reacts to Gamers' Extreme Sacrifices
The idea of gamers giving up their pets upset a lot of people online. Some couldn't believe it, and others were furious.
'Giving up sex for a month is one thing but your DOG???' one commenter wrote, drawing a clear line between sacrificing a social activity and abandoning a beloved animal.
Another was considerably less forgiving, writing: 'Okay so those 10% of American gamers can f*ck right off.'
Others were quick to remind players that pets are not disposable possessions.
'Nah that's too far. Pets need the loving and care,' one person commented.
Another offered a more light-hearted solution, suggesting: 'Make a spot for the dog on the couch.'
GTA 6 Could Save Gamers $5,000 by Keeping Them Indoors, Millionaire Claims
There may be an upside to the obsession, though. British entrepreneur and millionaire financial influencer Mark Tilbury says GTA 6 could save players up to $5,000 (£3,729) by keeping them home instead of out on expensive nights.
He argues that spending about $100 (£75) on the game could be a smart money move, and the claim has sparked a debate among gamers.
In a 31 October video titled 'How GTA 6 Could Save You $5,000', Tilbury broke down the potential cost of playing Rockstar's upcoming release compared with spending money on nights out.
Here is how Tilbury reached his figure. First, he assumed the game would cost about $100 (£75) and take around 80 hours to complete, or roughly $1.25 (93p) an hour.
Then he factored in side missions and exploring the open world, which he said could stretch playing time to 200 hours. That brings the cost down to 50 cents (37p) an hour.
'Let's say you play for four hours every evening, that's 50 nights of entertainment,' Tilbury explained. 'Compare that to going out, where you could easily spend $100 (£75) in a single night,' he added.
Skip 50 nights out and you could save $5,000 (£3,729).
There is one thing to keep in mind, though. The figure assumes you would spend $100 (£75) on every single night out. Deduct the $100 (£75) price of the game and the saving falls to about $4,900 (£3,654).
To be fair, this is just a what-if. Plenty of people spend less than that on a night out, and few would stay in every evening to play.
But gamers love it. Tilbury's video has more than two million views, with viewers joking that a millionaire is now backing their favourite hobby.
'Finally, a financial advisor I trust,' one viewer joked.
'Thanks, I'll show it to my parents,' another commented.
One person took the argument to an entirely different level, writing: 'Say no more, I will buy four digital copies; that's $20,000 (£14,914) in my pocket.'
Millions of Gamers Are Even Planning To Ditch Work
The obsession doesn't stop at what gamers will give up outside the game. More than 51 per cent of working adult gamers surveyed plan to take time off for GTA 6. Around one in four will take at least two days.
Among those who have pre-ordered, it's even higher. More than 62 per cent plan to take launch day off.
The cost to the economy could be huge. GTA 6 could cost the US more than $1 billion (£746 million) in lost productivity on launch day, with more than 1.5 million workers expected to skip work.
The game arrives on Thursday 19 November 2026 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series. It is the first major new Grand Theft Auto game since GTA V in 2013.
After more than 10 years of waiting, fans will clearly rearrange their lives for it. One millionaire says staying home could save gamers thousands of dollars, but some fans would give up their pets to play early.
