Rockstar confirmed in a November 3, 2026 update that Grand Theft Auto VI unlocks at midnight local time on November 19, 2026, on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Because each region runs on its own clock, the game opens region by region rather than everywhere at once. New Zealand players are among the first in, while much of the world is still on November 18.
| Region | Unlock on November 19 | Same moment in UTC | US Pacific time |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | 12:00 a.m. NZDT | Nov 18 11:00 a.m. | Nov 18 3:00 a.m. |
| Australia | 12:00 a.m. AEDT | Nov 18 1:00 p.m. | Nov 18 5:00 a.m. |
| Japan and South Korea | 12:00 a.m. JST/KST | Nov 18 3:00 p.m. | Nov 18 7:00 a.m. |
| Thailand | 12:00 a.m. ICT | Nov 18 5:00 p.m. | Nov 18 9:00 a.m. |
| India | 12:00 a.m. IST | Nov 18 6:30 p.m. | Nov 18 10:30 a.m. |
| United Arab Emirates | 12:00 a.m. GST | Nov 18 8:00 p.m. | Nov 18 12:00 p.m. |
| United Kingdom | 12:00 a.m. GMT | Nov 19 12:00 a.m. | Nov 18 4:00 p.m. |
| Brazil | 12:00 a.m. BRT | Nov 19 3:00 a.m. | Nov 18 7:00 p.m. |
| USA and Canada | 12:00 a.m. EST | Nov 19 5:00 a.m. | Nov 18 9:00 p.m. |
| Mexico | 12:00 a.m. CST | Nov 19 6:00 a.m. | Nov 18 10:00 p.m. |
GTA 6 Regional Unlock Times on the PlayStation Store Schedule
These times are the PS5 unlock times on the PlayStation Store's regional schedule, so the start moment moves with each time zone. They cover a selection of regions, not every country, and the store can still change them before launch.
The schedule also groups some countries into one window. USA and Canada share one window at midnight Eastern time, so a PS5 player on US Pacific time gets in at 9 p.m. on November 18, the same moment midnight arrives on the East Coast. If your country isn't listed, expect the unlock at midnight on November 19 in your local time.
Xbox and PS5 Unlock Rules for GTA 6
The midnight local time rule covers PS5 and Xbox Series X|S equally, so the platform you choose doesn't change the unlock hour. Xbox's store listing shows November 19, but no hour is published for each country. That means the exact times on the PlayStation Store schedule are not confirmed for Xbox, and Xbox players should plan on midnight local time on November 19.
On PS5, the unlock follows the region linked to your PlayStation Network account. That can differ from the country you live in, so the region on your account is what sets your unlock time.
A physical PS5 copy, sold as the Physical (Code-In-Box) version, has no disc. The box holds a download code instead, and it has no different published unlock time.
