GTA 6 Fans Are Reportedly Planning to Set Console Locations to New Zealand for Early Midnight Launch

GTA 6 fans are reportedly planning to set their consoles to New Zealand after current PlayStation Store listings showed a staggered regional rollout, with the game scheduled to become available at midnight local time in several markets on 19 November.

The listings put New Zealand first, with other regions following according to their local release windows.

Rockstar has confirmed the 19 November 2026 release date and that pre-loading begins on 12 November, while the detailed regional unlock schedule currently comes from PlayStation Store listings rather than a published Rockstar timetable.

How the GTA 6 Midnight Launch Rollout Works

Current PlayStation Store listings show 15 release windows across 63 countries and regions, according to GTAVice.

The rollout begins in New Zealand at 11:00 UTC on 18 November, which is midnight on 19 November local time, then moves through Australia, Japan, India, the Middle East, Europe and the UK, before reaching the United States and some Canadian regions at midnight Eastern Time, and finally Mexico and several Central American markets at 06:00 UTC on 19 November.

The current PlayStation Store listings create a 19-hour gap between the earliest and latest release windows. Under the current schedule, UK players would be able to start five hours before the US Eastern release window, while the US West Coast would receive the game at 9pm PT on 18 November.

The New Zealand Trick and Why Playstation Makes It Harder

For Xbox Series X|S owners, reports suggest that changing the console's location to New Zealand may allow GTA VI to follow that market's earlier unlock window. However, this has not been independently confirmed by Rockstar or Microsoft for GTA VI, so the method should be treated as a reported workaround rather than a guaranteed way to gain early access.

Rockstar says the physical version contains a download code rather than a disc and that redeemed codes can be pre-loaded from 12 November. Whether the reported region-switching method works with those purchases has not been independently confirmed.

On PlayStation, the relevant country or region is tied to the PlayStation account and purchase. Sony says an account's country or region cannot be changed after it is created, while voucher codes must match the account's region.

On PS5, simply changing the console's location does not change an account's country or region. Any workaround involving a separate regional account or foreign-region purchase should be treated cautiously and checked against PlayStation's current terms and regional restrictions.

The reported workarounds are not guaranteed to work, and players should check the current terms and regional purchase rules for their platform before attempting to change account or console settings.

What Players in Key Regions Can Expect

Current PlayStation Store listings show India unlocking at midnight IST on 19 November, followed by the UAE at midnight GST.

In the UK the game is listed for midnight GMT on 19 November, and the US PlayStation Store listing currently points to midnight Eastern Time on 19 November. The final listed window is 6am UTC on 19 November, covering Mexico and several Central American markets.

Under the current PlayStation Store listings, that creates a 19-hour spread between the earliest and latest windows.

Rockstar has described Grand Theft Auto VI as a single-player experience when it launches on 19 November. The physical code-in-box version will be available from 12 November to support pre-loading, and as of 8 September Rockstar has not disclosed the game's required storage space.

Whether players wait for their own region's release window or explore reported workarounds, Grand Theft Auto VI is set to launch on 19 November as a single-player experience.