Ladies and gentlemen, the gym has found its newest customers: GTA 6 fans. PureGym and personal trainer David Hope have unveiled a three-part workout to get gamers' thumbs and fingers ready for Rockstar's colossal release on 19 November. Forget leg day. This is thumb day, and nobody is skipping it.
Yes, you read that right. While everyone else is chasing biceps and abs, GTA fans are being told to build up their fingers, the only muscles they'll be using for the next 40 hours straight.
With anticipation for the game already sky-high, thumb day might be the clearest sign yet that GTA 6 fever has officially spread.
'GTA 6 Is a Game, Not the NBA Finals': Gamers Roast Gym's Thumb Workout
Unsurprisingly, a gym routine for gamers' thumbs did not go unnoticed online. Social media users have weighed in, with several wondering if the GTA 6 hype has officially got out of hand.
'Nah even gyms tryna milk GTA 6'
'Finally a gym day gamers won't skip'
'GTA 6 is a game, not the NBA Finals. WHY ARE WE PREPARING LIKE THIS?'
'GTA 6 taking so long we're training for it now?'
The jokes capture the strange reality of the countdown to Rockstar's next Grand Theft Auto game: anticipation has become so intense that even a workout for your thumbs feels like part of the launch preparations.
But PureGym's idea is not entirely without logic. Hours of repetitive button presses can leave hands, wrists and forearms feeling stiff, while remaining in the same position for long periods can cause discomfort elsewhere.
GTA 6 Has Already Attracted Millions of Pre-Orders
PureGym's thumb workout isn't a coincidence. GTA 6 hype is huge, and the numbers show it.
Sensor Tower's latest weekly tracker estimates 6.45 million digital pre-orders worldwide, worth about $630 million (£470 million). That's roughly 370,000 more than the 6.08 million it counted on 13 October.
PlayStation is winning the console war here, with about 4.80 million copies (74 per cent). Xbox has the other 1.66 million.
In the US, pre-orders are 148 per cent ahead of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022) at the same point before launch, the best of any major release Sensor Tower has tracked in six years. Most buyers are going big on the $100 (£75) Ultimate Edition.
These are third-party estimates, not confirmed by Take-Two, and the tracker's model changed on 5 October, so comparisons with older figures are rough.
Still, with launch on 19 November, the anticipation is clear. Bosses may also want to brace for a wave of 'sudden illnesses' that week.
One Last Workout Before the Chaos Begins
For now, GTA 6 is scheduled to launch on November 19 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series, giving fans less than a month to prepare for their return to Vice City.
Whether that means stretching their fingers, planning their days off or simply making sure the controller is charged, players have plenty to think about before launch.
Picture the scene: the game finally loads, the opening music kicks in, they're about to start what they hope will be an unforgettable adventure. Let's just hope the thumbs make it past the first mission.
