GTA 6 Unlock Times by Region: New Zealand Plays First
GTA 6 unlocks at midnight local time on November 19, starting in New Zealand. Here is when that is in UTC, and why the region-switch trick is risky.
Grand Theft Auto VI releases on November 19, 2026. PlayStation Store listings show a midnight local-time unlock, so countries further east get it first.
When does it unlock?
| Region | Local unlock | UTC |
|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | Nov 19, 00:00 | Nov 18, 11:00 |
| Australia (east) | Nov 19, 00:00 | Nov 18, 13:00 |
| Japan, Korea | Nov 19, 00:00 | Nov 18, 15:00 |
| Turkey, Saudi Arabia | Nov 19, 00:00 | Nov 18, 21:00 |
| Central Europe | Nov 19, 00:00 | Nov 18, 23:00 |
| UK, Ireland, Portugal | Nov 19, 00:00 | Nov 19, 00:00 |
| US East, Canada East | Nov 19, 00:00 | Nov 19, 05:00 |
| Mexico, Central America | Nov 19, 00:00 | Nov 19, 06:00 |
These times come from store listings reported by the press, not from a Rockstar schedule, so they can still change. Xbox Cloud Gaming starts at 1am ET on November 19.
The New Zealand trick
Some guides say Xbox players can switch their console region to New Zealand to play hours early, and that PS5 players would need a separate New Zealand account with its own copy of the game. Be careful:
- On PS5 you would pay for the game twice.
- Changing region can conflict with store terms, and it may stop working once Rockstar's servers check your account.
- The safest way to play "early" is simply to pre-load so the game starts the second it unlocks.
See our preload guide and the launch checklist.
Sources: MP1st, Windows Central, Xbox Wire.