Interestingly, however, it is International Men’s Day. And this year, the day is set to become even more special for some people in Bangladesh.

Because that is the day Grand Theft Auto VI is scheduled to be released.

Yes, the GTA VI that people have been waiting years for. Rockstar Games’ highly anticipated new instalment is scheduled for release on 19 November 2026, on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, as confirmed by Take-Two. The game will follow Jason and Lucia as they navigate the criminal underworld of Leonida, with Vice City once again at the heart of the experience.

But in Bangladesh, the arrival of GTA VI will mean more than just the release of another video game. For some, it will be a social event.

Imagine this.

19 November, 8:00 a.m. A mother is standing at the door of her son’s room.

“Son, aren’t you going to university?”

“No, Mom.”

“Why?”

A moment of silence.

Then, in an extremely serious voice:

“I have important business in Leonida today.”

The mother pauses.

“Where is Leonida?”

The son replies:

“You wouldn’t understand, Mom.”

And honestly, she probably wouldn’t.

Because she belongs to a generation that sees computers primarily as tools for studying, working and handling office tasks. She has no idea that her son has spent the last several years mentally preparing for citizenship in a fictional city.

The excitement surrounding GTA is nothing new in Bangladesh. Those who grew up with GTA: San Andreas may still remember the era of small computers, 512 MB of RAM, ancient versions of Windows and DVDs bought from local computer shops. Then came the journey through Los Santos with CJ.

“Ah shit, here we go again.”

That one sentence is probably connected to the childhood memories of an entire generation in Bangladesh.

Some explored Grove Street. Some wandered around Las Venturas. Some tried to break into Area 69 and died within five minutes. Others simply spent entire afternoons riding around on a BMX.

Then came GTA IV, more realistic, darker and more melancholic. And then GTA V. Los Santos felt like an entirely different world. Through Michael, Franklin and Trevor, we witnessed a strange satire of crime, money, friendship, betrayal, power and the American Dream.

And now comes GTA VI, after nearly a decade of waiting. That wait itself is perhaps the funniest part of the story.

Because before GTA VI even arrives, several generations of Bangladeshi gamers have grown up. The boy who played GTA V in school is now working. The girl who watched the GTA V trailer and asked, “When is the game coming out?” might now be pursuing her master’s degree. The teenager who experienced the release of GTA V in 2013 may now be holding his own child and thinking, “I’ll let my son play GTA VI when he grows up.” There is just one problem. By then, the kid might be waiting for GTA VII.

The biggest transformation, however, will probably happen on Facebook. After the release of GTA VI, Bangladesh’s Facebook timeline will likely be divided into three groups. The first group will say:

“Finally! After 13 years!”

The second group will say:

“Bro, my PC can’t run this.”

And the third group will say:

“I don’t play games, but the graphics are amazing.”

The third group is the most mysterious. Because they will probably never play the game. Yet they will watch a 17-minute gameplay video on YouTube and provide a detailed analysis of the graphics.

“Rockstar really cooked this time.”

And then, at the end of the post, they will write:

“Gaming is a waste of time.”

But jokes aside, it would be unfair to dismiss the cultural significance of GTA VI. Video games are no longer simply a form of entertainment. They have become a powerful medium for storytelling. Like cinema, games can bring together narrative, character development, music, environment, social commentary and visual storytelling.

The GTA series, in particular, has always satirised American society, consumerism, crime, politics, media and structures of power. The world we play in often becomes a world that the game itself asks us to question.

Why do we find crime entertaining? Why does the pursuit of money sometimes make people abandon their morality? Why is the same action considered “business” when powerful people do it, but “crime” when weaker people do it? Why does society sometimes create conditions in which crime appears to be the only available option?

These questions may emerge from fictional cities, but they are not completely disconnected from the real world. And that is where the real strength of GTA lies. We steal cars, run from the police, make virtual money, and complete criminal missions. Yet, at the same time, we enter a satirical representation of a society where money, power, inequality, and ambition are very real.

For Bangladeshi gamers, however, GTA VI will also offer another important lesson: the difference between hype and reality. Before 19 November, we will analyse trailers. We will discuss leaks. We will watch videos titled “EVERYTHING YOU MISSED IN GTA VI.” We will scroll through Reddit posts. We will share memes on Facebook. We will tell our friends:

“Bro, only 96 days left!”

Then release day will finally arrive. We’ll buy the game. Download it. Start playing. Two hours later, we’ll suddenly remember that our assignment is due tomorrow. And then:

“Oh. I have a life too.”

That may be the biggest challenge GTA VI presents. Rockstar will build an enormous world for us to explore. But we still have to manage our own world.

So let November 19 come. Let gamers play. Let us experience Jason and Lucia’s story. Let us rediscover Vice City. Let cars race through the streets of Leonida. Let there be missions, chaos, fun, memes, and sleepless nights.

But there is one thing we should not forget: We should never become so attached to the virtual world that we forget the real one. Because in GTA, we can start a new game whenever we want. In real life, we cannot. In GTA, we can crash a car and simply restart. In real life, we cannot. In GTA, we can make a mistake and reload a save file. In life, we cannot.

So November 19 is not just the release date of GTA VI. It can also serve as a reminder that no matter how incredible the virtual world becomes, we still have to keep our real world playable.

And yes, if someone tells you that day,

“Bro, let’s go outside for a bit.”

You can always say:

“Sorry, bro. I’m in Vice City.”

Just remember to come back out after 24 hours.