Guide
GTA 6 Unlock Times by Country: When It Goes Live Where You Are
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Current status
- Current status: Store timestamps exist. There's no Rockstar announcement.
- Last verified: October 19, 2026.
- Sources checked: GTAVice's PlayStation Store compilation, PlayStation Store (NZ listing), Xbox Store (US listing), Kotaku.
- What is confirmed: the November 19 release date.
- What is not confirmed yet: an official unlock time from Rockstar, and Xbox times outside the US. Sony could change the timestamps.
All 15 PlayStation release windows
Reported (GTAVice, from PlayStation Store timestamps). ET is Eastern Standard Time, since clocks go back on November 1:
| UTC | Eastern (ET) | Local | Regions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 18, 11:00 | Nov 18, 6:00 AM | 12:00 AM NZDT | New Zealand |
| Nov 18, 13:00 | Nov 18, 8:00 AM | 12:00 AM AEDT | Australia (east coast) |
| Nov 18, 15:00 | Nov 18, 10:00 AM | 12:00 AM | Japan, South Korea |
| Nov 18, 16:00 | Nov 18, 11:00 AM | 12:00 AM | Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan |
| Nov 18, 17:00 | Nov 18, 12:00 PM | 12:00 AM | Indonesia, Thailand |
| Nov 18, 18:30 | Nov 18, 1:30 PM | 12:00 AM IST | India |
| Nov 18, 20:00 | Nov 18, 3:00 PM | 12:00 AM | UAE |
| Nov 18, 21:00 | Nov 18, 4:00 PM | 12:00 AM | Saudi Arabia, Turkey |
| Nov 18, 22:00 | Nov 18, 5:00 PM | 12:00 AM | UTC+2 regions (e.g. Greece, Finland, South Africa) |
| Nov 18, 23:00 | Nov 18, 6:00 PM | 12:00 AM CET | 19 European regions (e.g. France, Germany, Spain) |
| Nov 19, 00:00 | Nov 18, 7:00 PM | 12:00 AM GMT | UK, Ireland, Portugal, Iceland |
| Nov 19, 03:00 | Nov 18, 10:00 PM | 12:00 AM | Brazil, Argentina, Chile and others |
| Nov 19, 04:00 | Nov 18, 11:00 PM | 12:00 AM | Bolivia |
| Nov 19, 05:00 | Nov 19, 12:00 AM | 12:00 AM ET | USA, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru |
| Nov 19, 06:00 | Nov 19, 1:00 AM | 12:00 AM CST | Mexico and Central America |
The Eastern column is our conversion (Analysis).
US and Canada detail
Reported (GTAVice): the US and Canadian PlayStation Stores use one nationwide time, 05:00 UTC:
- Eastern: 12:00 AM, November 19
- Central: 11:00 PM, November 18
- Mountain: 10:00 PM, November 18
- Pacific: 9:00 PM, November 18
- Atlantic Canada: 1:00 AM (Newfoundland 1:30 AM), November 19
Reported (Xbox Store): the US Xbox listing's release time is also 05:00 UTC on November 19, which is midnight ET. Kotaku also covered the midnight launch.
Caveats and tips
Analysis:
- Your account region decides your unlock time, not where you're physically sitting (GTAVice).
- Preload on November 12 so you can play at unlock. See preload guide.
- No confirmed timestamp yet for some regions: GTAVice lists Bahrain, China, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman and Qatar.
- Spoilers start in New Zealand about 18 hours before US players can start. Mute keywords: see our spoiler guide.
- Day-of planning is in our Thursday November 19 guide.
Confirmed vs rumored: unlock times
| Claim | Status |
|---|---|
| Release date November 19, 2026 | Confirmed (Rockstar) |
| Rolling midnight-local launch on PS Store | Reported (store timestamps) |
| US/Canada at midnight ET (9 PM PT Nov 18) | Reported (PS Store and Xbox Store timestamps) |
| New Zealand first, at 11:00 UTC Nov 18 | Reported (PS Store timestamp) |
| Official unlock time from Rockstar | Not announced |
| Global simultaneous launch | Not indicated by store data |
The bottom line
Plan for midnight local time. In the US, that's 12 AM ET on November 19, or 9 PM PT on November 18. New Zealand gets it first, at 6 AM ET on November 18. We'll update this if Rockstar or the stores change anything.
Sources checked
- GTAVice: GTA 6 PlayStation worldwide release countdown
- PlayStation Store (New Zealand): Grand Theft Auto VI
- Xbox Store (US): Grand Theft Auto VI
- Kotaku: GTA 6 launch time
Update log: 2026-10-19: Published. Eastern times converted from UTC using EST (UTC−5).
Frequently asked questions
- What time does GTA 6 unlock in the US?
- Store timestamps point to 05:00 UTC on November 19: midnight Eastern, 11 PM Central, 10 PM Mountain and 9 PM Pacific on November 18. Rockstar hasn't announced an official time.
- Where does GTA 6 release first?
- New Zealand, at midnight local time on November 19, which is 11:00 UTC (6 AM ET) on November 18, based on PlayStation Store timestamps.
- What time does GTA 6 unlock in the UK?
- Midnight GMT on November 19 (00:00 UTC), according to PlayStation Store data compiled by GTAVice.
- Does my location or account region decide the unlock time?
- Your PlayStation Store account region decides it, not your physical location.
Keep exploring GTA 6
Has played every mainline Grand Theft Auto since GTA III in 2001.
Editorial note: GTA6Home is an independent fan resource and is not affiliated with Rockstar Games or Take-Two Interactive. We track official Rockstar announcements and update this guide whenever the facts change — the “Last updated” date above reflects the latest review. Anything not officially confirmed is labeled per our Editorial Policy.