Before a long-awaited game reaches its audience, the quiet machinery of ordinary life begins to register its arrival. Workers are booking time off, and a bathroom retailer has offered a reminder that even the most absorbing pleasures ask something of the body. Those who have waited a decade for the next chapter of this series now face a familiar human tension between devotion and self-care. The story shows how anticipation reshapes routines long before the first hours are played.
GTA VI Launch Prompts Health Warning for Players Who Skip Bathroom Breaks
Gamers may not have considered their bladders, but they're organised
Mark
Why is a plumbing company warning people about video games?
Mimi
Victorian Plumbing ran the numbers on the game's estimated 80-hour length and came up with up to 35 bathroom breaks. The warning builds from that figure.
Luke
Worth saying that's the company's own calculation, and the 80 hours is an estimate. It's not a medical finding.
Mark
But the health risks they describe are real, aren't they?
Mimi
Woods described UTI risk from not drinking enough and holding urine, plus bladder muscles overstretching over time. Dehydration also affects attention and cognitive performance.
Luke
Those are general claims from a plumbing company spokesperson. The piece doesn't cite a doctor or any data on gamers actually skipping breaks.
Mark
And the leave numbers?
Mimi
Employment Hero reports a 29 per cent rise in leave bookings for November 19, driven by men aged 18 to 44.
Luke
That's one firm's data, and Cowie herself says the link to the game is an inference, not something proven.
Mark
What should we watch?
Mimi
Whether bookings keep climbing this week, and whether Friday the 20th picks up at all.
Luke
Right, so far there's no rise for Friday. That's all we know.
O Pulso
- A bathroom retailer's estimate of up to 35 toilet breaks across an 80-hour playthrough has turned a game launch into a health warning.
- Players eager after a decade-long wait may be tempted to hold their bladders and skip water, risking infections and weakened bladder muscles.
- Annual leave bookings for launch day have jumped 29 per cent, driven largely by men aged 18 to 44, as people clear their calendars in advance.
- Employers are being given early notice to arrange cover, while the day after launch shows no comparable rush for leave yet.
- The coming days will reveal whether bookings keep climbing toward November 19 and whether Friday's quiet holds.
Before a long-awaited game reaches its audience, the quiet machinery of ordinary life begins to register its arrival. Workers are booking time off, and a bathroom retailer has offered a reminder that even the most absorbing pleasures ask something of the body. Those who have waited a decade for the next chapter of this series now face a familiar human tension between devotion and self-care. The story shows how anticipation reshapes routines long before the first hours are played.
A week before Grand Theft Auto VI goes on sale on Thursday, November 19, two signs of the launch have surfaced: a sharp rise in time off work and a warning about bladders. Bathroom retailer Victorian Plumbing estimates that a player working through the game's roughly 80 hours could need up to 35 bathroom breaks. The concern is that fans who have waited ten years for the sixth game in the franchise may hold on rather than stop.
Alex Woods of Victorian Plumbing explained the risks. Delaying toilet breaks and drinking too little can raise the chance of a urinary tract infection, since less urine means less flushing of bacteria and longer holding gives them room to grow. Over time, regularly overstretching the bladder can weaken its muscles, leaving a person unable to empty fully. Cutting back on water to avoid interruptions also dulls attention and thinking, which could undercut the enjoyment players are chasing.
Employment Hero data shows that as of November 12, annual leave bookings for launch day were up 29 per cent, mostly from men aged 18 to 44. Lisa Cowie, the company's Global Insights Lead, cautioned against drawing firm conclusions about cause, though the early booking gives employers time to plan cover. So far, the day after launch, Friday, November 20, has seen no comparable rise, and the next days will show whether the rush keeps building.
A week before Grand Theft Auto VI reaches players, the people tracking the launch have turned up two things: a spike in time off work, and a warning about bladders. The game is due out on Thursday, November 19, and the preparations around it have already begun to show up in some unexpected data.
The bathroom warning comes from Victorian Plumbing, a bathroom retailer, which did its own calculation. By its numbers, a player working through the game's estimated 80 hours should be taking up to 35 bathroom breaks. The concern is that fans who have waited a decade for the sixth game in the franchise may put off those breaks to keep playing.
Alex Woods of Victorian Plumbing laid out the risks. Regularly delaying toilet breaks and not drinking enough water can raise the risk of a urinary tract infection, he said. Drinking too little means producing less urine, so bacteria may not be flushed out. Holding urine for long stretches can also give bacteria more opportunity to grow. His advice was to stay hydrated and go when the urge arrives rather than prolonging it.
A second risk is the bladder itself. According to Woods, regularly holding in urine for long periods can overstretch the bladder. Over time, that can affect the strength and tone of the bladder muscles, making it harder for them to contract properly. The result, he said, is that a person could struggle to empty the bladder fully when they finally do go.
There is also the matter of players cutting back on water so they can play without interruption. Dehydration carries its own health consequences, and it could undercut the very thing players are after: it affects attention and cognitive performance, which means it could dull their enjoyment of the game.
On the planning side, gamers appear to be well organised. Employment Hero reports that as of Thursday, November 12, one week out, annual leave bookings for launch day were up 29 per cent. The increase is being driven by men aged 18 to 44. Bookings are expected to climb further in the days leading up to the release, but so far there is no noticeable rise in leave for Friday, November 20.
Lisa Cowie, Global Insights Lead at Employment Hero, was careful about cause and effect. She said that when an event has mass appeal among a particular demographic, such as this launch, inferences can be made about what is driving the increase. She also pointed to a upside for employers: people are booking leave weeks in advance, which gives managers time to arrange cover for what looks to be a big day of gaming.
The next marker is the days before November 19, when Employment Hero expects leave bookings to keep rising, and whether Friday's numbers move at all.
Citações Notáveis
Regularly putting off toilet breaks and not drinking enough water can increase your risk of developing a urinary tract infection.— Alex Woods, Victorian Plumbing
People are planning ahead and booking leave weeks in advance, giving managers time to arrange cover.— Lisa Cowie, Global Insights Lead, Employment Hero
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Leia o original em Nine.com.au ↗