GTA 6 Release Time: When Does It Unlock in Your Country?

Last updated: September 25, 2026

GTA 6 releases on November 19, 2026 at midnight local time. The rollout is staggered: the game goes live region by region as each one reaches midnight. New Zealand is first, on November 18 at 11:00 UTC.

Your time zone: GTA 6 is expected to unlock at midnight on November 19.

In countries with several time zones, such as the US, Canada, Australia and Mexico, the game is expected to unlock for the whole country when its earliest time zone reaches midnight. That’s why some regions play on the evening of November 18.

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GTA 6 unlock times worldwide

Country / region	Local unlock time	UTC
New Zealand (NZDT)	Nov 19, 00:00	Nov 18, 11:00
Australia — Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart (AEDT)	Nov 19, 00:00	Nov 18, 13:00
Australia — Adelaide (ACDT)*	Nov 18, 23:30	Nov 18, 13:00
Australia — Brisbane (AEST)*	Nov 18, 23:00	Nov 18, 13:00
Australia — Perth (AWST)*	Nov 18, 21:00	Nov 18, 13:00
Japan / South Korea	Nov 19, 00:00	Nov 18, 15:00
Philippines / Singapore / Malaysia / Hong Kong	Nov 19, 00:00	Nov 18, 16:00
Thailand / Indonesia (Jakarta) / Vietnam	Nov 19, 00:00	Nov 18, 17:00
India	Nov 19, 00:00	Nov 18, 18:30
Pakistan	Nov 19, 00:00	Nov 18, 19:00
UAE	Nov 19, 00:00	Nov 18, 20:00
Saudi Arabia / Turkey	Nov 19, 00:00	Nov 18, 21:00
South Africa / Greece / Romania / Finland	Nov 19, 00:00	Nov 18, 22:00
Central Europe — Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Serbia	Nov 19, 00:00	Nov 18, 23:00
UK / Ireland / Portugal	Nov 19, 00:00	Nov 19, 00:00
Brazil (Brasília time) / Argentina / Chile	Nov 19, 00:00	Nov 19, 03:00
Canada — Newfoundland	Nov 19, 00:00	Nov 19, 03:30
Canada — Eastern (Toronto, Montreal)*	Nov 18, 22:30	Nov 19, 03:30
US — Eastern (New York, Miami)	Nov 19, 00:00	Nov 19, 05:00
US — Central (Chicago, Dallas)*	Nov 18, 23:00	Nov 19, 05:00
US — Mountain (Denver)*	Nov 18, 22:00	Nov 19, 05:00
US — Pacific (Los Angeles, Seattle)*	Nov 18, 21:00	Nov 19, 05:00
Colombia / Peru / Ecuador	Nov 19, 00:00	Nov 19, 05:00
Mexico — Mexico City*	Nov 18, 23:00	Nov 19, 05:00

* Expected under the earliest-time-zone rule for countries with several time zones (for example, all of Canada follows Newfoundland, all of the US follows Eastern time, and all of Mexico follows Quintana Roo). The times will be confirmed when store listings show exact unlock times. If a store shows a different time for your account, the store is right.

How to play the second it unlocks

Pre-order digitally, or buy the code-in-box edition and redeem the code.
Turn on automatic downloads in rest mode (PS5: Settings → System → Power Saving) or sleep mode (Xbox: Settings → General → Power options).
Let the preload finish from November 12. Plan for 150–200 GB of free space (file size guide).
Keep the console online. GTA 6 unlocks automatically at your region’s time.

FAQ

What time does GTA 6 come out?

At midnight local time on November 19, 2026. In the US that means midnight Eastern, which is 9:00 PM Pacific on November 18. In the UK it’s midnight GMT.

Does GTA 6 release at the same time worldwide?

No. It unlocks region by region, starting with New Zealand at 11:00 UTC on November 18.

Can I use a New Zealand account to play early?

Region tricks may work, but they can break purchases and store terms. We don’t recommend it.

When can I start downloading GTA 6?

November 12, 2026, for digital pre-orders and code-in-box copies.