Release time
GTA 6 Release Time: What Time It Unlocks in Your Country
Image: Rockstar Games
Rockstar has not announced what time GTA 6 unlocks on Thursday, November 19, 2026. The PlayStation Store and Xbox Store list it at midnight on November 19 in each store country's main time zone, so it rolls out over 19 hours: New Zealand first at Nov 18, 11:00 UTC, Mexico last at Nov 19, 06:00 UTC.
Pick your country to see the GTA 6 release time on your own clock, with a live countdown. Store times checked October 6, 2026.
GTA 6 release time in your country
Thu, Nov 19, 12:00 AM
Store-listed unlock in United States, on its main clock (Eastern (New York)).
On your clock:
November 19, 2026
A store listing, not a Rockstar announcement. Your PS5 unlocks with the store region of the account you bought on.
Release time by country, as the stores list it
We read every country's PlayStation Store listing below, and its Xbox Store listing where one exists, on October 6, 2026. Where we checked both, they give the same moment. Each country gets one moment, set at midnight in its main time zone; the last column shows that same moment on other clocks in the country.
| Store country | Store-listed unlock | UTC | Elsewhere in the country | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | Thu, Nov 19, 12:00 AM (Auckland and Wellington) | Nov 18, 11:00 UTC | One time zone | PS Store 路 Xbox |
| Australia | Thu, Nov 19, 12:00 AM (Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra) | Nov 18, 13:00 UTC | Brisbane: Wed, Nov 18, 11:00 PMAdelaide: Wed, Nov 18, 11:30 PMPerth: Wed, Nov 18, 9:00 PM | PS Store 路 Xbox |
| India | Thu, Nov 19, 12:00 AM (All of India (IST)) | Nov 18, 18:30 UTC | One time zone | PS Store 路 Xbox |
| Finland and Greece | Thu, Nov 19, 12:00 AM (Helsinki and Athens) | Nov 18, 22:00 UTC | One time zone | PS Store |
| Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Poland | Thu, Nov 19, 12:00 AM (Berlin, Paris, Madrid, Rome, Amsterdam, Warsaw) | Nov 18, 23:00 UTC | One time zone | PS Store 路 Xbox |
| United Kingdom | Thu, Nov 19, 12:00 AM (London (GMT)) | Nov 19, 00:00 UTC | One time zone | PS Store 路 Xbox |
| Ireland | Thu, Nov 19, 12:00 AM (Dublin) | Nov 19, 00:00 UTC | One time zone | PS Store 路 Xbox |
| Brazil | Thu, Nov 19, 12:00 AM (Bras铆lia, S茫o Paulo, Rio) | Nov 19, 03:00 UTC | Manaus: Wed, Nov 18, 11:00 PM | PS Store 路 Xbox |
| United States | Thu, Nov 19, 12:00 AM (Eastern (New York)) | Nov 19, 05:00 UTC | Central (Chicago): Wed, Nov 18, 11:00 PMMountain (Denver): Wed, Nov 18, 10:00 PMPacific (Los Angeles): Wed, Nov 18, 9:00 PM | PS Store 路 Xbox |
| Canada | Thu, Nov 19, 12:00 AM (Toronto and Montreal) | Nov 19, 05:00 UTC | Halifax: Thu, Nov 19, 1:00 AMWinnipeg: Wed, Nov 18, 11:00 PMCalgary and Edmonton: Wed, Nov 18, 10:00 PMVancouver: Wed, Nov 18, 9:00 PM | PS Store 路 Xbox |
| Mexico | Thu, Nov 19, 12:00 AM (Mexico City) | Nov 19, 06:00 UTC | Canc煤n: Thu, Nov 19, 1:00 AMTijuana: Wed, Nov 18, 10:00 PM | PS Store 路 Xbox |
| Philippines | No Philippine store listing: the PlayStation Store's Philippine address opens the US store, the Xbox Store says the product is not in its Philippine catalog, and Rockstar's pre-order country list leaves the Philippines out. Your unlock follows the store country of the account you buy on. | None | ||
Confirmed vs reported: what each claim rests on
Guides disagree about the unlock time. Some list midnight in each store country, some one worldwide moment. Here is every claim we have seen, with what backs it.
| Claim | Status | Based on |
|---|---|---|
| Launch date: Thursday, November 19, 2026 | Confirmed | Rockstar Newswire and Rockstar Support |
| Preload opens at local midnight on November 12 | Confirmed | Rockstar Support |
| A launch unlock hour from Rockstar | Not announced | Rockstar's site, Newswire and Support pages, checked October 6, 2026 |
| Each store country unlocks at midnight in its main time zone, so the world gets it over 19 hours | Store listing, reported | PlayStation Store and Xbox Store listings we read on October 6, 2026; Digital Foundry and Eurogamer report the same |
| One moment for all of the US and Canada: midnight Eastern, which is Wed, Nov 18, 9:00 PM Pacific | Store listing, reported | US and Canadian store listings; Digital Foundry put western Canada at 05:00 UTC too |
| Midnight on your own clock in every US time zone (12:00 AM Pacific in Los Angeles) | Not confirmed | An assumption from the local-midnight preload; the US store lists one Eastern-time moment instead |
| One worldwide unlock at 05:00 UTC (5:00 AM in the UK, 10:30 AM in India) | Not confirmed | Claimed by some fan guides; the UK, European, Indian and Australian store listings all give earlier, local-midnight times |
Details on the preload are in our preload guide.
One time per store country, so the west gets it the evening before
The US store lists one moment for the whole country, midnight Eastern. On a Pacific clock that is Wed, Nov 18, 9:00 PM, so if the listing holds, players in California get in on Wednesday evening. Canada works the same way: midnight in Toronto is Wed, Nov 18, 9:00 PM in Vancouver.
Australia's listing is midnight in Sydney and Melbourne, which is Wed, Nov 18, 9:00 PM in Perth. Mexico's is midnight in Mexico City: Wed, Nov 18, 10:00 PM in Tijuana and Thu, Nov 19, 1:00 AM in Canc煤n. Brazil's is midnight in Bras铆lia, which is Wed, Nov 18, 11:00 PM in Manaus.
Your account's store region decides, not where you live
On PS5, Eurogamer reports that a digital copy unlocks with the PlayStation Store region of the account that bought it. A Canadian who pre-ordered on a UK account gets the UK time. Rockstar also locks boxed PlayStation codes to the region they were sold in, so buy in the same country as your account.
On Xbox, the console's region and time zone can be changed in settings. Eurogamer and Digital Foundry report that Xbox owners have used a New Zealand setting to play other big games early. Rockstar has not said whether that works for GTA 6; see our early access check.
In the Philippines, there is no local listing to read. No Philippine store listing: the PlayStation Store's Philippine address opens the US store, the Xbox Store says the product is not in its Philippine catalog, and Rockstar's pre-order country list leaves the Philippines out. Your unlock follows the store country of the account you buy on.
Prices for the same countries are on the GTA 6 price page, and every launch date is on the countdown and launch calendar.
Questions people ask
What time does GTA 6 unlock?
Rockstar has not announced an hour. The PlayStation Store and Xbox Store list midnight on November 19 in each country's main time zone: Thu, Nov 19, 12:00 AM Eastern in the US, which is Wed, Nov 18, 9:00 PM Pacific, and Thu, Nov 19, 12:00 AM in the UK.
What time does GTA 6 come out in the UK?
Thu, Nov 19, 12:00 AM GMT (Nov 19, 00:00 UTC), according to the UK PlayStation Store and Xbox Store listings. Rockstar has not confirmed the hour.
What time does GTA 6 come out in India?
Thu, Nov 19, 12:00 AM IST, which is Nov 18, 18:30 UTC, according to the Indian PlayStation Store and Xbox Store listings. Rockstar has not confirmed the hour.
What time does GTA 6 come out in Australia?
Thu, Nov 19, 12:00 AM in Sydney and Melbourne (Nov 18, 13:00 UTC). The listing is one moment for the whole country, so it is Wed, Nov 18, 9:00 PM in Perth.
Does GTA 6 come out at midnight?
At midnight in your store country's main time zone, if the store listings hold. Rockstar confirmed local midnight for the November 12 preload, but has not given a launch hour.
Can you play GTA 6 early by changing your time zone?
On PS5, no: the unlock follows your account's store region, and PlayStation codes are locked to it. On Xbox, Eurogamer and Digital Foundry report that switching the console to New Zealand worked for past games; Rockstar has not said whether it works for GTA 6.
Sources
- Pre-Order Grand Theft Auto VI on June 25 (Rockstar Newswire) (Jun 24, 2026)
- Grand Theft Auto VI Platforms, Editions, and Versions (Rockstar Support) (Aug 18, 2026)
- Grand Theft Auto VI (PlayStation Store, New Zealand) (Oct 6, 2026)
- Grand Theft Auto VI (Xbox Store, New Zealand) (Oct 6, 2026)
- Grand Theft Auto VI (PlayStation Store, Australia) (Oct 6, 2026)
- Grand Theft Auto VI (Xbox Store, Australia) (Oct 6, 2026)
- Grand Theft Auto VI (PlayStation Store, India) (Oct 6, 2026)
- Grand Theft Auto VI (Xbox Store, India) (Oct 6, 2026)
- Grand Theft Auto VI (PlayStation Store, Finland and Greece) (Oct 6, 2026)
- Grand Theft Auto VI (PlayStation Store, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Poland) (Oct 6, 2026)
- Grand Theft Auto VI (Xbox Store, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Poland) (Oct 6, 2026)
- Grand Theft Auto VI (PlayStation Store, United Kingdom) (Oct 6, 2026)
- Grand Theft Auto VI (Xbox Store, United Kingdom) (Oct 6, 2026)
- Grand Theft Auto VI (PlayStation Store, Ireland) (Oct 6, 2026)
- Grand Theft Auto VI (Xbox Store, Ireland) (Oct 6, 2026)
- Grand Theft Auto VI (PlayStation Store, Brazil) (Oct 6, 2026)
- Grand Theft Auto VI (Xbox Store, Brazil) (Oct 6, 2026)
- Grand Theft Auto VI (PlayStation Store, United States) (Oct 6, 2026)
- Grand Theft Auto VI (Xbox Store, United States) (Oct 6, 2026)
- Grand Theft Auto VI (PlayStation Store, Canada) (Oct 6, 2026)
- Grand Theft Auto VI (Xbox Store, Canada) (Oct 6, 2026)
- Grand Theft Auto VI (PlayStation Store, Mexico) (Oct 6, 2026)
- Grand Theft Auto VI (Xbox Store, Mexico) (Oct 6, 2026)
- GTA 6's Worldwide Release Times Revealed (Digital Foundry) (Sep 7, 2026)
- Grand Theft Auto 6 worldwide unlock times revealed (Eurogamer) (Sep 8, 2026)
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