What Time Does GTA 6 Come Out? Unlock Times for Every Region
Set an alarm. Or three, depending on where you live.
GTA 6 unlocks at midnight local time on November 19, according to Rockstar's support page, which Tech Times says was last updated on November 3. In the US, PlayStation 5 players can probably start playing at 9 p.m. Pacific on Wednesday, November 18, because the American store appears to follow Eastern time.
What time does GTA 6 come out in the US?
Rockstar says the game "will release midnight local time on November 19, 2026, in all regions" on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, per Forbes. The US PlayStation Store listing reportedly shows a single unlock time for the entire country, 05:00 UTC, which works out to midnight Eastern. If that listing holds, here's your start time:
- Eastern: 12 a.m. Thursday, November 19
- Central: 11 p.m. Wednesday, November 18
- Mountain: 10 p.m. Wednesday, November 18
- Pacific: 9 p.m. Wednesday, November 18
- Alaska: 8 p.m. Wednesday, November 18
- Hawaii: 7 p.m. Wednesday, November 18
Rockstar hasn't published this chart itself, so consider it the best available interpretation of the store listing.
When does GTA 6 unlock around the world?
PlayStation Store listings in 63 countries and regions show a rolling launch beginning in New Zealand, according to VICE, with every region unlocking at its own local midnight. Converted to US Eastern time, the international schedule looks like this:
- New Zealand: 6 a.m. November 18
- Australia (Sydney): 8 a.m. November 18
- Japan and South Korea: 10 a.m. November 18
- India: 1:30 p.m. November 18
- United Arab Emirates: 3 p.m. November 18
- United Kingdom: 7 p.m. November 18
- Brazil (Brasília): 10 p.m. November 18
- US and Canada: 12 a.m. November 19
- Mexico (Central): 1 a.m. November 19
That gives New Zealand an 18-hour head start on the East Coast, although these times could still change before launch.
When does GTA 6 unlock on Xbox Series X|S?
Microsoft hasn't announced a specific unlock hour for playing natively on Xbox Series X|S, according to Tech Times, although the same report says Xbox Cloud Gaming streams begin at 1 a.m. Eastern on November 19. Rockstar's "midnight local time" statement also covers Xbox, so expect a similar regional rollout.
Can you play GTA 6 early with a New Zealand account?
Technically, yes, although it's an expensive, complicated hassle. PlayStation doesn't allow region changes on existing accounts, so you'd need a separate New Zealand account plus a second copy purchased from that regional store, VICE explains. (A second $80 copy for an 18-hour head start? Bold.)
What should you do before launch night?
Preloading opened on November 10, and Rockstar says you'll need up to 212GB of available storage. Our GTA 6 preload guide has the storage math for every console, and the GTA 6 everything we know hub covers everything else.
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My read is that a US launch on Eastern time is a gift for anyone west of New York and a scheduling problem for anybody who works on Thursday morning. Rockstar should still publish an official time zone chart before Wednesday, because "midnight local time" is doing a lot of heavy lifting right now.
What time are you starting GTA 6? Tell us in the comments.
