Kalshi is hiring a researcher to play and livestream Grand Theft Auto VI from its Nov. 19 launch, using the game as a live study of both its fictional economy and the real-world effects of a blockbuster release.

The researcher will explore Leonida’s in-game economy and track how the launch affects consumer behavior and workplace activity, including absenteeism, food-delivery demand and lost productivity.

The winning applicant will play as Jason and Lucia in Leonida and stream the experience on YouTube or Twitch.

The remote contract pays $100,000 to $120,000, plus a $15,000 completion fee, and work is expected to begin at midnight on launch day.

Applicants must be at least 18, have at least 10 years of gaming experience and three years of streaming experience, and be equipped to broadcast with their camera on; an economics or finance degree is helpful but not required.

The research will test predictions that more than one million Americans could call in sick on launch day and that lost productivity could exceed $1 billion, while some employers have reportedly offered staff the day off.

There are already hints of launch-related disruption: UK internet provider YouFibre reported temporary problems as players preloaded the game, though the broader productivity impact remains to be seen.

The game is scheduled to arrive on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S on Nov. 19 and is widely expected to be the biggest video game debut ever; GTA 5 made $1 billion in its first three days in 2013 and has sold about 235 million copies.

Take-Two Interactive said pre-orders had reached “unprecedented levels” and maintained its forecast of $8 billion to $8.2 billion in net bookings for the fiscal year ending March 2027.

Kalshi’s GTA-related markets have traded about 5.6 million contracts, mostly on the release date, and price a Nov. 19 launch and a 24-hour gaming sales record as highly likely.

Polymarket’s active GTA 6 markets have drawn about $2.5 million in volume, with bets covering another delay, the game’s price and Metacritic score, and whether either protagonist dies.

That activity is modest beside the platforms’ broader trading: Kalshi has recorded more than $3.9 billion in notional volume in a single day, while Polymarket has only one GTA event above $1 million.