An Unwind Media survey of more than 1,300 Americans found that a notable share of GTA 6 fans would, in theory, trade remarkable things for one week of early access to Rockstar’s upcoming title.
Among pet owners specifically, 7% said they would give up their animals; among pet owners who had already pre-ordered the game, that figure climbed to 13%.
The New York Post and Dexerto both described the pet figure as “nearly 10%,” while a more detailed breakdown of the same survey data puts it at 7% overall and 13% among pre-ordering pet owners. That discrepancy is worth noting, because this survey does not include fieldwork dates or a margin of error, and all results are self-reported hypothetical intentions.
What Gamers Say They’d Actually Sacrifice
Sex, cigarettes, and fast food ranked higher on the surrender list than pets, while smartphones proved far harder to relinquish.
More than 20% of sexually active respondents said they would give up sex for a month in exchange for playing the game seven days ahead of release. Among pre-order customers, that number rose to 32%.
Women reported higher willingness than men on this particular trade: 25% compared with 19%, according to Dexerto.
Fifty-three percent said they would drop alcohol, 43% smoking, and more than 40% would abandon fast food or social media. Only 16% said they would give up their phones outside work hours for a month, placing screen time below sex, cigarettes, and alcohol on the sacrifice hierarchy.
Pre-Ordering as a Commitment Signal
Respondents who had already pre-ordered the game reported consistently more extreme stated willingness across the documented categories.
Gamers who pre-ordered GTA 6 were willing to give up more across the reported categories, suggesting that financial commitment may amplify stated fandom intensity, or at least hypothetical bravado.
Among working launch-day buyers, 51% said they planned to take time off for release. Among pre-order customers specifically, that figure rose to 62%, with 16% planning to call in sick.
What the Survey Can and Cannot Tell You
Unwind Media’s study measures the intensity of anticipation, not a forecast of pet shelter intake.
The survey carries no margin of error and no published fieldwork dates. The figures describe the stated mood of survey respondents rather than a statistically reliable behavioral forecast, and the survey provides no evidence that respondents actually abandoned pets.
GTA 6 releases November 19, 2026, on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. Digital pre-loading begins November 12, allowing players to download the game in advance of the launch date, not to play it early.
Seven days of early access is the hypothetical currency of this survey, and the answers it generated reflect fandom intensity at a cultural moment. As Dexerto’s editorial voice put it: “Your dog should be safe.”
