GTA VI launches on Thursday 19 November 2026 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Rockstar has confirmed the date and the pre-load, but it has not announced the exact unlock time. What we do have is the PlayStation Store data, which lists 00:00 local time in each region.
Here is what is known, separating official information from what comes from the stores.
Confirmed by Rockstar
- Date: Thursday 19 November 2026, on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S only. No PC version has been announced.
- Pre-load: from Thursday 12 November at 00:00 local time on both consoles, as explained on Rockstar’s support page.
- The boxed edition is a download code, not a disc. It goes on sale on 12 November and you can pre-load as soon as you redeem the code.
What the PlayStation Store shows: local midnight
On the PlayStation Store listings, each region unlocks at 00:00 local time. New Zealand is first and Mexico and Central America are last, about 19 hours apart. The Microsoft Store page only shows the date, although the store’s backend data points the same way.
Until Rockstar confirms it, treat it as very likely, not official: store listings can change before launch.
Unlock time by region
| Region | Local time | UTC |
|---|---|---|
| New Zealand (first) | 00:00 on the 19th | 11:00 on Wed 18th |
| Japan | 00:00 on the 19th | 15:00 on Wed 18th |
| Central Europe (Spain, France, Germany) | 00:00 on the 19th | 23:00 on Wed 18th |
| UK and Ireland | 00:00 on the 19th | 00:00 on Thu 19th |
| Argentina and Chile | 00:00 on the 19th | 03:00 on the 19th |
| Colombia, Peru and Ecuador | 00:00 on the 19th | 05:00 on the 19th |
| Mexico and Central America (last) | 00:00 on the 19th | 06:00 on the 19th |
Does the New Zealand trick work?
- PlayStation: no. The unlock time depends on your PlayStation account region, not the console’s region or where you are. PlayStation codes are also region-locked: a code bought in the UK will not redeem on a Spanish account.
- Xbox: switching the console region to New Zealand has worked for other launches. For GTA VI it is not guaranteed, and Microsoft can block it.
How to be ready at midnight
- Pre-order before 12 November if you want to pre-load from day one. If you buy the boxed edition, redeem the code as soon as you have it.
- Free up space. Rockstar has not given the download size, but it will be a big game. Our pre-load guide explains how to prepare.
- Leave the console in rest mode with downloads enabled so the day-one patch installs without you.
- If the game shows a padlock at midnight on PS5, try Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Restore Licences.
Pre-ordering before 20 November includes the bonus pack; editions and prices are in GTA 6 editions and pre-orders. The countdown on our home page tracks the time left.
Sources: Rockstar Games support page (pre-load), GTA VI listings on the PlayStation Store and Microsoft Store. We will update the unlock time as soon as Rockstar announces it.