Levelling up on leave
Holidays, family time and putting your feet up to relax are perhaps some of the top ways people prefer to spend their precious annual leave. However, with today’s gaming technology, some people aren’t booking their holiday allowance to take in the sights, they’re doing so to conquer virtual worlds, slay enemies and unearth hidden treasures in the digital world.
We surveyed gamers around the country to find out more about their gaming habits and their working relationships. We also enlisted the help of Dr. Daniel Wheatley, Reader in the Department of Management at Birmingham Business School, to help us advance on our journey with his expert insights.
Annual leave for gamers
Annual leave – it’s that precious stash of days usually earmarked to down tools at work and take a break from workplace stresses. While traditional holidays may involve sandy shores and exotic locales, gamers are setting sail for digital domains, often dedicating their annual leave to conquer the latest video game releases.
But how many gamers are actually booking off annual leave to play games? Well, it’s quite a lot. In fact, 4 out of 10 gamers stated that they’ve booked leave for the sole purpose of playing video games. But why are gamers choosing to spend their precious time off this way? It’s the captivating nature of video games. These immersive experiences transport players to fantastical realms, offering them a chance to become the hero of their own story and escape the realities and pressures of day-to-day life.
Plus, with the promise of stellar storylines and killer graphics, it creates so much hype around up-and-coming video games – especially ones that have been years in the making. So much so, that gamers want to play them the day – or even the hour – that they come out. And they don’t want work to get in the way and slow them down. The majority (55%) of those who take annual leave for a new release will take one or two days off to play a new game, but 31% will take up to five days of to play. That’s 18% of the legal entitlement of 28 annual leave days for a full-time worker in the UK.
“All work and no play is unlikely to generate the most positive outcome for employees and employers. Everyone requires breaks from work reflecting the need for recovery time to avoid negative outcomes including burnout and work-related stress and associated drops in productivity. Engaging in hobbies can often allow the employee to achieve a desired level of mental and physical separation from the demands of their job and this has the potential to provide the employee with more effective recovery enabling greater productivity during working time.”
Dr. Daniel Wheatley
Clock off and power up
Annual leave is valuable. So, a game is going to have to be pretty good to warrant putting on your “Out of Office”.
One of the most anticipated games that people are willing to clock off for is Assassin’s Creed Codename Red (Assassin’s Creed Red). According to our research, 15% of players are eager to dive into its historical mysteries and adventures during the holiday season of 2024 (potentially). It will take place in Feudal Japan and will return to the newer style of action RPG games allowing people to delve into this exciting world.
Not far behind, is The Witcher 4 (Polaris). It’s not surprising that this game is as high up on the list, with 14% stating they’ll take time off, thanks to the global success of the book and television franchises. Not to mention the hits of the previous three RPG versions. There’s a fair amount of waiting though as the game is only rumoured to release sometime in 2026. But it’s best to keep your eyes peeled on release dates to avoid any annual leave disappointment.
And 12% of gamers surveyed will be taking time off for Star Wars Outlaws, which has an unspecified 2024 release, and Final Fantasy VII rebirth, which is set to be release on 29th February 2024.
*Cough, cough*. I’m sick
While people are booking their annual leave, some gamers are opting to take a more clandestine approach: pulling a sickie. It’s something that many people have considered in order to reach the next level or defeat the final boss. In fact, 34% of gamers in the UK stated that they are willing to pull a sickie to play the latest new game release if their annual leave was denied. The allure of being among the first to explore uncharted virtual worlds, embark on epic quests, be a part of that initial first wave and contribute to the online conversation on social media appears to be worth the risk of pulling off such a move.
Playing hooky doesn’t always pay off though. Of the 44% of gamers that took the gamble of a duvet day, 23% found themselves facing the music when the employers discovered their true motives – these individuals had to face disciplinary actions as a consequence. This is a stark reminder of the risks associated with taking unauthorised sick leave for non-genuine reasons. While the gaming world can be enticing, falling into the habit of bunking off can not only impact your professional reputation but also erode the trust between employees and employers.
“Balance is key in cases of conflict between employee and employer of this nature. Employees must recognise the role of business needs and cannot expect that all requests for time off will be possible due to flows of demand and other needs of the employer. That said, greater flexibility where it can be provided will minimise this type of response from employees as a greater proportion of requests for time off will be granted.”
Dr. Daniel Wheatley
Do gamers make
better workers?
It turns out that the skills that are forged in the gaming world can be easily applied to the place of work. From problem-solving abilities and teamwork to delegation and time management, gamers possess many qualities that can give them an edge in the workplace. So much so, that 44% of gamers believe that gaming fuels their prowess as employees. But what’s the hidden detail that makes gaming a valuable asset in the professional world? Well, it could be the fact that 56% of gamers state that they actively integrate gaming skills into their daily work routine. Gaming is fertile ground for cultivating qualities such as leadership, communication, time management and problem-solving, all of which are vital attributes in the modern workplace.
However, while many gamers successfully integrate valuable skills from their gaming into their professional lives, it’s important to note that not all gamers are model workers. The appeal of the virtual world can be so hard to resist that 38% of gamers admitted to indulging in video games during their designated work hours. This encroachment on working hours can lead to distractions and decreased productivity. It’s essential to strike a balance between embracing the positive aspects of gaming, such as skill development and stress relief and ensuring you’re a productive member of your team.
Balancing time spent in leisure activities against paid work can be challenging and especially where work delivers lesser satisfaction it may be tempting to spend more time and effort gaming. However, achieving at work will provide greater scope for enhanced gaming experiences through providing the income to purchase the latest gaming monitor, chair, console/PC upgrades and more.
Dr. Daniel Wheatley
From ROI to RPG: When to book your annual leave
It’s clear to see that gamers are willing to go to extreme lengths to ensure that they play the latest releases. So, when it comes to booking your annual leave for a much-anticipated game release, the old adage, “the early bird catches the worm” could not be more accurate. With more and more gamers opting to take leave to be among the first to play the hottest new releases, you’ll need to let your work know about your leave ASAP to ensure you’re one of them. To help with this, we collected search data to find out the most anticipated games, based on search phrases like “Tekken 8 release date” to find out which one’s people can’t wait for the most and their expected release dates so you can pencil in your leave.
One of the most searched video game release dates is Tekken 8, with an impressive 67,460 monthly searches. This highly anticipated game will be released on the 26th of January 2024. So, if you are excited about the world-shaking father-and-son grudge matches make sure to book it off now. Another, with a vastly different vibe to Tekken, was the peaceful game of adventure, exploration and meditation, Europa, with 33,370 monthly search volume. Ark II was another with 27,180 UK monthly searches for terms around its release, this may be due to it being delayed until 2024, but with Vin Diesel on board as the executive producer and "Souls-like melee combat", it is undoubtedly also one gaming fans are anticipating.
So, whether you’re looking forward to exploring expansive lands on your Zephyr jetpack or delving into tragic saga of the Mishima bloodline once again, the countdown to annual leave is on.
Don’t wait until the last minute to hit that “book leave” button and watch the countdown to your next epic gaming journey and winddown session begin.
Find out just how much time you’ve spent gaming on the hottest titles, and what that time equates to. Pick the games you’ve played from the list of top games from the last few years and then select a tool button on the right to unlock the time comparison. Get ready for some big numbers!
- Age of Empires IV
- Alan Wake II
- Assassin's Creed Valhalla
- Assassin's Creed Mirage
- Baldur's Gate 3
- Bayonetta 3
- Borderlands 3
- Cozy Grove
- Crusader Kings III
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Dark Souls: Remastered
- Dead Space (2023)
- Death Stranding
- Diablo IV
- Digimon Survive
- Disney Dreamlight Valley
- Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition
- Dying Light 2: Stay Human
- Elden Ring
- Fallout 76
- Far Cry 5
- Far Cry 6
- Final Fantasy VII Remake
- Final Fantasy XV: Complete Edition
- Final Fantasy XVI
- Football Manager 2023
- Forza Horizon 5
- Genshin Impact
- Gloomhaven
- God of war
- God of War: Ragnarok
- Gran Turismo 7
- Hades
- Hitman: World of Assassination
- Hogwarts Legacy
- Horizon Forbidden West
- Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
- Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition
- Jurassic World Evolution
- Kingdom Hearts III
- Kirby and the Forgotten Land
- Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
- Mario Wonder
- Marvel's Midnight Suns
- Marvel's Spider-Man
- Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak
- NEO: The World Ends with You
- Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom
- Nioh 2: Complete Edition
- Octopath Traveler II
- One Piece Odyssey
- Paper Mario: The Origami King
- Pathfinder: Kingmaker
- Persona 5 Royal
- Pikmin 4
- Planet Zoo
- Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- Return to Monkey Island
- Sea of Stars
- Sonic Frontiers
- Marvel's Spiderman 2
- Spiritfarer
- Star Ocean: The Divine Force
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
- Starfield
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
- The Callisto Protocol
- The Last of Us Part II
- The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- The Survivalists
- Tom Clancy's The Division 2
- Valheim
- Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty
- Xenoblade Chronicles 3
- Lies of P
- Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales
- Jusant
You’ve played a total of
That’s equivalent to
trips to the moon and back
Meet the expert
Dr. Daniel Wheatley
Daniel Wheatley is Reader in Business and Labour Economics based in the Department of Management at the University of Birmingham. His research focuses on work and well-being including job quality, work-life balance and flexible working arrangements, spatial dimensions of work including work-related travel, and other aspects of time-use including leisure time, and the household division of labour.
In a world of work and play, striking the right balance can be a tricky task. Booking leave to pursue hobbies, like playing the hottest upcoming games, can have a great impact on your overall wellbeing but also your productivity in the workplace when you clock back into work. Your annual leave is precious, so if you’re planning on taking it to play the game you’ve been waiting ages for, you’ll want to make sure that your gaming setup is in tip-top shape. Whether you’re a PC gamer looking for a gaming keyboard that can keep up with you or want to pair the best gaming console or video game console with a state-of-the-art controller for the ultimate gaming experience, you’ll find it at Currys.
The survey was conducted with a sample size of 1004 PC and console gamers across the UK with Censuswide.
The search data was collected by looking at the UK monthly Google search volume for the titles of the games plus searches which included “[game name] release date” “when is [game name] released” and “when is [game name] coming out”.
Due to the request of a games publisher, one result for “the game people are taking time off for” and “the most searched for game release date” had to be omitted from the study.
