New Zealand
00:00 NZDT · Wed 18 Nov, 11:00 UTC
The first big store region to reach midnight. 00:00 on Thursday in Auckland is 11:00 UTC on Wednesday, November 18.
PS5 · Xbox Series X|S · store listing
Launch night · midnight, store time
When GTA 6 unlocks in your time zone
Midnight moves west across the planet. New Zealand plays first, Mexico waits about 19 hours longer. Here is your place in line.
You unlock at
00:00
Thu 19 Nov · your local time
Enable JavaScript to see your exact minute, or find your region in the table below.
Who plays first
- New Zealand11:00
- Australia (east)13:00
- Japan & South Korea15:00
- India18:30
- UAE & Oman20:00
- Saudi Arabia & Gulf21:00
- South Africa & Eastern Europe22:00
- Central Europe23:00
- UK, Ireland & Portugal00:00
- Brazil & Argentina03:00
- US & Canada (Eastern)05:00
- Mexico & Central America06:00
How the release works
Midnight, one region at a time
PlayStation Store and Microsoft Store release big digital games at 00:00 local store time. There is no single worldwide minute: the game unlocks as midnight reaches each region, starting in the Pacific and ending in the Americas.
That spreads launch night over roughly 19 hours. If you live in Europe you play about half a day after New Zealand; on the US West Coast the game can arrive on Wednesday evening.
Every region, every minute
GTA 6 unlock times by region
| Region | Local | UTC | Your time | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | 00:00 NZDT | Wed 18 Nov, 11:00 | — | store listing |
| Australia (east) | 00:00 AEDT | Wed 18 Nov, 13:00 | — | store listing |
| Japan & South Korea | 00:00 JST / KST | Wed 18 Nov, 15:00 | — | store listing |
| India | 00:00 IST | Wed 18 Nov, 18:30 | — | store listing |
| UAE & Oman | 00:00 GST | Wed 18 Nov, 20:00 | — | store listing |
| Saudi Arabia & Gulf | 00:00 AST | Wed 18 Nov, 21:00 | — | store listing |
| South Africa & Eastern Europe | 00:00 SAST / EET | Wed 18 Nov, 22:00 | — | store listing |
| Central Europe | 00:00 CET | Wed 18 Nov, 23:00 | — | store listing |
| UK, Ireland & Portugal | 00:00 GMT | Thu 19 Nov, 00:00 | — | store listing |
| Brazil & Argentina | 00:00 BRT / ART | Thu 19 Nov, 03:00 | — | store listing |
| US & Canada (Eastern) | 00:00 EST | Thu 19 Nov, 05:00 | — | store listing |
| Mexico & Central America | 00:00 CST | Thu 19 Nov, 06:00 | — | store listing |
PS Store listing data · not confirmed by Rockstar · updated Oct 20, 2026
Region by region
Your region, explained
Australia (east)
00:00 AEDT · Wed 18 Nov, 13:00 UTC
Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra are on AEDT in November. Queensland skips daylight saving and Perth sits three hours behind the east coast, so the exact minute depends on which time your store region follows.
PS5 · Xbox Series X|S · store listing
Japan & South Korea
00:00 JST / KST · Wed 18 Nov, 15:00 UTC
Both countries share UTC+9 with no daylight saving, so they unlock together at 15:00 UTC on November 18.
PS5 · Xbox Series X|S · store listing
India
00:00 IST · Wed 18 Nov, 18:30 UTC
One time zone for the whole country. Midnight IST is 18:30 UTC on November 18, the half-hour offset is not a typo.
PS5 · Xbox Series X|S · store listing
UAE & Oman
00:00 GST · Wed 18 Nov, 20:00 UTC
Gulf Standard Time, UTC+4. Players here get it an hour before Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait.
PS5 · Xbox Series X|S · store listing
Saudi Arabia & Gulf
00:00 AST · Wed 18 Nov, 21:00 UTC
Arabia Standard Time, UTC+3, which is 21:00 UTC on November 18.
PS5 · Xbox Series X|S · store listing
South Africa & Eastern Europe
00:00 SAST / EET · Wed 18 Nov, 22:00 UTC
UTC+2 covers South Africa, Greece, Romania, Finland and the Baltics. Europe is back on standard time after October 25, so there is no summer-time shift to worry about.
PS5 · Xbox Series X|S · store listing
Central Europe
00:00 CET · Wed 18 Nov, 23:00 UTC
Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Poland, the Nordics and most of the continent. Midnight CET is 23:00 UTC on November 18.
PS5 · Xbox Series X|S · store listing
UK, Ireland & Portugal
00:00 GMT · Thu 19 Nov, 00:00 UTC
The clocks went back on October 25, so London is on GMT and midnight here is exactly midnight UTC.
PS5 · Xbox Series X|S · store listing
Brazil & Argentina
00:00 BRT / ART · Thu 19 Nov, 03:00 UTC
Brazil dropped daylight saving in 2019, so São Paulo, Buenos Aires and Montevideo all sit at UTC−3.
PS5 · Xbox Series X|S · store listing
US & Canada (Eastern)
00:00 EST · Thu 19 Nov, 05:00 UTC
The listing points to midnight Eastern. If the store keeps one unlock for the whole country, that is 23:00 Central, 22:00 Mountain and 21:00 Pacific on Wednesday, November 18.
PS5 · Xbox Series X|S · store listing
Mexico & Central America
00:00 CST · Thu 19 Nov, 06:00 UTC
Mexico ended daylight saving in 2022, so Mexico City stays on UTC−6 and is one of the last big regions to unlock.
PS5 · Xbox Series X|S · store listing
FAQ
Before you ask
What time does GTA 6 come out?
At midnight on November 19, 2026 in your store region. The first region, New Zealand, unlocks at 11:00 UTC on November 18; the last big one, Mexico, about 19 hours later.
Is there GTA 6 early access?
No early access has been announced. Pre-loading lets you download the game ahead of time, but it stays locked until midnight in your region. See Preload.
Can I play earlier with a New Zealand account?
In theory a digital copy bought on a New Zealand store account unlocks with New Zealand. In practice you need a separate account, a payment method or gift card from that region, and the copy is tied to that account. It is fiddly, and we do not recommend buying gift cards from resellers.
Do boxed copies unlock at midnight too?
Yes. The box holds a download code, not a disc, so once you redeem it the game is a digital copy and unlocks at the same minute as everyone else in your store region.
It’s past midnight and GTA 6 still won’t start. Why?
Check that the store region on your account matches where you live, then restore licences. Step by step for PS5 and Xbox: Launch-day fixes.
What time does GTA 6 release in the US?
The listing points to midnight Eastern, 05:00 UTC on November 19. That is 21:00 Pacific on Wednesday, November 18 if the store keeps one unlock for the whole country.