Why New Zealand gets GTA 6 before the rest of the world, and the time-zone trick players are trying

The countdown to Grand Theft Auto 6 is almost over, but players around the world will not all get access at the same time. New Zealand is expected to be among the first countries to play when the game unlocks on November 19. The difference comes down to time zones and Rockstar's planned regional release schedule. Some Xbox players are also looking at a console settings change that could let them start playing hours before others in North America. The information is taken from Gamespot, PC Mag and SVG.

Why does New Zealand get GTA 6 first?

Rockstar has set the GTA 6 release for midnight on November 19, based on the local time of each region. Because of its position near the International Date Line, New Zealand reaches that moment before most other countries. According to a breakdown published by SVG, New Zealand will get access before Taiwan, India, central Europe, the UK, South America and North America. Mexico and Central America are expected to be among the last regions to receive the game, with a gap of roughly 20 hours between the earliest and latest unlocks.



A report from GTAVice, based on Sony's regional store timestamps, also points to 15 release windows spread across 19 hours. These timings have not been officially confirmed by Rockstar or Sony and could change.

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The Xbox trick players are considering

Some gamers may not want to wait for their local release time. Xbox users can change their console's region through the profile and system settings and select New Zealand. According to SVG, this could allow eligible players in North America to access the game as early as 11 a.m. UTC, around 19 hours before some other players.

PlayStation users face a more complicated process. They would need a separate New Zealand PSN account and a region-specific gift card to make a similar switch. The method is therefore much less straightforward than changing an Xbox console's location.

When can you preload GTA 6?

Rockstar has confirmed that digital preloading begins on November 10. PlayStation 5 users can start at midnight local time, while Xbox Series X|S preloading begins globally at 12 a.m. GMT. The download could require up to 212GB of storage, so players should make sure their consoles have enough free space.

Code-in-box editions are expected to reach retailers from November 12. The game itself is scheduled to unlock on November 19, although the exact regional rollout remains subject to confirmation.

Rockstar has also released a new batch of screenshots featuring Jason and Lucia in locations including a nightclub, The Rusty Anchor bar and a gym. Other images show an airboat trip, a police pursuit near a superyacht and Jason leaning out of a car while helicopters follow. The screenshots form part of what Rockstar calls a launch gallery, giving fans another look at the game before release.