Release time tool
What time does GTA VI unlock in your country?
On PlayStation 5, GTA VI unlocks at midnight local time on November 19, 2026 in each country — a rolling launch that starts in New Zealand and moves west. Pick your country below: we calculate your exact unlock moment and count down to it. (Xbox has not published an unlock time yet; recent Xbox launches usually follow the same pattern, but that is not confirmed for GTA VI.)
—
Release times for major countries
| Country | You can play from | In UTC |
|---|
All times are the PlayStation 5 midnight-local unlock on November 19, 2026. Daylight saving is already accounted for (for example, New Zealand is on NZDT, UTC+13, in November).
Why New Zealand plays first
Because the unlock is tied to local midnight, the world's earliest time zones reach November 19 first. New Zealand unlocks at 11:00 UTC on November 18 — a full 16 hours before the US East Coast. This is also why "changing your console's region" tricks trend every launch: your store account region, not just your clock, governs the unlock, and we don't recommend account workarounds — they can violate store terms.
Haven't downloaded yet? Pre-load opens November 12 — see the pre-load guide so the game is installed before your unlock time arrives.