Pocketpair's giving the whole studio five days off for GTA 6, and I respect it

So Pocketpair, the Palworld folks, are shutting down for five days so the whole team can actually play GTA 6 at launch. The studio's line was basically that a launch like this deserves your full attention, which is a hell of a thing to build a company policy around.

I keep seeing studios do this now and it's honestly the most sensible trend going into November 19. Logitech already said they're handing out a day. Now Pocketpair's going bigger with a full work week gone. And there's a detail in the coverage that made me laugh: their CEO apparently disappeared for a while to play Slay the Spire 2, so this is clearly a studio that already knows what happens when a game drops and nobody can concentrate.

it's a productivity thing as much as a kindness

If you've ever tried to get anything done on a launch day, you know. Half the team's watching a download bar, the other half is on their phone reading impressions, and nothing real gets shipped. Giving people the time upfront is cheaper than pretending they're working.

I also like that it takes the pressure off the people who don't care. Not everyone at a studio is a GTA person. Five days off is five days off, whether you're in Leonida or just sleeping in.

Anyway, small studios setting the bar while the big publishers stay quiet is pretty funny to watch. Makes you wonder how many other teams are quietly booking that week off in the calendar and hoping nobody asks questions.

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Source: GamesRadar+ · Curated content.