What time does GTA 6 unlock where you are
When the download starts and when you can play, converted to your time zone. Each store unlocks at its own midnight: 12:00 am Eastern on Thursday, November 19, 2026 in the US, midnight in London in the UK.
Boarding pass · GTA VI
Times in Eastern time
To
Leonida
Download (preload)
12:00 AM
Thursday, November 12
Estimated time
Play
12:00 AM
Thursday, November 19
From the store listing
What counts is the store you bought the game on, not your console clock.
The unlock board
Every regional store in unlock order, first to last. The rollout runs for about 19 hours.
| Store | Eastern time | UTC | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand 18 Nov, 11:00 UTC | Wed, Nov 18, 06:00 AM | 18 Nov, 11:00 | Waiting |
| Australia 18 Nov, 13:00 UTC | Wed, Nov 18, 08:00 AM | 18 Nov, 13:00 | Waiting |
| Japan and South Korea 18 Nov, 15:00 UTC | Wed, Nov 18, 10:00 AM | 18 Nov, 15:00 | Waiting |
| Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Malaysia 18 Nov, 16:00 UTC | Wed, Nov 18, 11:00 AM | 18 Nov, 16:00 | Waiting |
| Indonesia and Thailand 18 Nov, 17:00 UTC | Wed, Nov 18, 12:00 PM | 18 Nov, 17:00 | Waiting |
| India 18 Nov, 18:30 UTC | Wed, Nov 18, 01:30 PM | 18 Nov, 18:30 | Waiting |
| United Arab Emirates 18 Nov, 20:00 UTC | Wed, Nov 18, 03:00 PM | 18 Nov, 20:00 | Waiting |
| Saudi Arabia and Türkiye 18 Nov, 21:00 UTC | Wed, Nov 18, 04:00 PM | 18 Nov, 21:00 | Waiting |
| Greece, Finland, Romania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Israel, Ukraine and South Africa 18 Nov, 22:00 UTC | Wed, Nov 18, 05:00 PM | 18 Nov, 22:00 | Waiting |
| Italy, Germany, France, Spain and the rest of central Europe 18 Nov, 23:00 UTC | Wed, Nov 18, 06:00 PM | 18 Nov, 23:00 | Waiting |
| United Kingdom, Ireland, Portugal and Iceland 19 Nov, 00:00 UTC | Wed, Nov 18, 07:00 PM | 19 Nov, 00:00 | Waiting |
| Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay 19 Nov, 03:00 UTC | Wed, Nov 18, 10:00 PM | 19 Nov, 03:00 | Waiting |
| United States, Canada, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and Panama 19 Nov, 05:00 UTC | Thu, Nov 19, 12:00 AM | 19 Nov, 05:00 | Waiting |
| Mexico and Central America 19 Nov, 06:00 UTC | Thu, Nov 19, 01:00 AM | 19 Nov, 06:00 | Waiting |
What is certain and what is not
- Confirmed
The dates: preload from November 12, 2026 (Take-Two) and release on November 19 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S (Rockstar).
- Store listings
The unlock hours: read on each country’s PlayStation Store listing. Rockstar has not announced them, and they can change until the last minute.
- Not announced
The hour preloading starts. Listings only say “7 days before”: here we place it at the same store midnight, seven days before unlock.
Release time FAQ
What time does GTA 6 unlock in the US?
At 12:00 am Eastern on Thursday, November 19, 2026 (05:00 UTC), for the whole country: on the West Coast that is 9:00 pm Pacific on Wednesday, November 18. That is the time on the US PlayStation Store listing.
What time does GTA 6 release in the UK?
At midnight London time on November 19 (00:00 UTC). Ireland and Portugal unlock at the same moment.
What time does GTA 6 unlock in Canada?
At 12:00 am Eastern on November 19 (05:00 UTC), the same moment as the US: 9:00 pm on November 18 in Vancouver.
What time does GTA 6 unlock in Australia?
At midnight Sydney time on November 19 (13:00 UTC on the 18th). Because the store uses eastern daylight time, Brisbane gets it at 11:00 pm and Perth at 9:00 pm on November 18.
What time does GTA 6 unlock in India?
At midnight IST on November 19, which is 18:30 UTC on November 18.
When does GTA 6 preloading start?
On November 12, 2026: Take-Two confirmed the date, not the hour. Store listings say “7-day pre-load”, so it most likely opens at the same store midnight as the unlock, a week earlier. Treat the hour as an estimate until it is announced.
Where does GTA 6 unlock first?
New Zealand, at 11:00 UTC on November 18. Then Australia, Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas, with Mexico and Central America last at 06:00 UTC on November 19.
Does changing my console time zone let me play early?
It should not: the unlock follows the store you bought the game on, not your console clock. That is the reading most consistent with the listings, but Rockstar, Sony and Microsoft have not spelled it out.