Rockstar's support page says GTA 6 unlocks at midnight local time on 19 November 2026 in all regions, on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Because US stores key the country to Eastern time, the West Coast starts at 9 p.m. Pacific on Wednesday.
| Time zone | Unlock (local) |
|---|---|
| Eastern (ET) | 12:00 a.m., Thu 19 Nov |
| Central (CT) | 11:00 p.m., Wed 18 Nov |
| Mountain (MT) | 10:00 p.m., Wed 18 Nov |
| Pacific (PT) | 9:00 p.m., Wed 18 Nov |
| Alaska (AKT) | 8:00 p.m., Wed 18 Nov |
| Hawaii (HT) | 7:00 p.m., Wed 18 Nov |
| Region | Unlock (local) |
|---|---|
| UK (GMT) | 12:00 a.m., Thu 19 Nov |
| Central Europe (CET) | 12:00 a.m., Thu 19 Nov |
| Australia (Sydney, AEDT) | 12:00 a.m., Thu 19 Nov |
| New Zealand (NZDT) | 12:00 a.m., Thu 19 Nov — the first major region |
Preloading is already open for digital pre-orders since 10 November. Want to start even sooner? See the guides on Day One Desk: how to play GTA 6 early and the Xbox time zone trick.
What time does GTA 6 unlock in the UK?
Midnight GMT, the start of Thursday 19 November.
What time in the US?
Midnight Eastern, which is 9 p.m. Pacific on Wednesday 18 November.
