Grand Theft Auto VI unlocks at midnight local time on 19 November in every region, on both PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Rockstar Games is using a rolling regional release rather than a single global launch. New Zealand is first, at 11:00 UTC on 18 November. The US West Coast is last, at 08:00 UTC on 19 November, a gap of 21 hours.
GTA 6 release time by region: IST, ET, PT, GMT and more
The table shows when GTA VI unlocks in major cities, in local time and in UTC. Players in the same time zone as a listed city get the game at the same moment. In India, the game unlocks at 12:00 AM IST on 19 November, matching the PlayStation and Xbox India store listings.
| Region (city) | Local unlock time | UTC equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| New Zealand (Auckland) | 12:00 AM, 19 November | 11:00, 18 November |
| Australia (Sydney) | 12:00 AM, 19 November | 13:00, 18 November |
| Japan and South Korea | 12:00 AM, 19 November | 15:00, 18 November |
| China, Singapore and the Philippines | 12:00 AM, 19 November | 16:00, 18 November |
| Thailand and Indonesia (Jakarta) | 12:00 AM, 19 November | 17:00, 18 November |
| India | 12:00 AM IST, 19 November | 18:30, 18 November |
| UAE (Dubai) | 12:00 AM, 19 November | 20:00, 18 November |
| South Africa | 12:00 AM, 19 November | 22:00, 18 November |
| Central Europe (Paris, Berlin) | 12:00 AM CET, 19 November | 23:00, 18 November |
| UK (London) | 12:00 AM GMT, 19 November | 00:00, 19 November |
| Brazil (São Paulo) | 12:00 AM, 19 November | 03:00, 19 November |
| US East Coast (New York) | 12:00 AM EST, 19 November | 05:00, 19 November |
| Mexico City | 12:00 AM, 19 November | 06:00, 19 November |
| US West Coast (Los Angeles) | 12:00 AM PST, 19 November | 08:00, 19 November |
The UTC times are our calculations based on midnight in each city, using standard time for 19 November. Countries that span several time zones, such as Australia, Brazil, Mexico and the US, unlock at local midnight in each zone. Rockstar has not published an official city-by-city unlock table.
How the GTA 6 regional unlock works on PS5 and Xbox
The game unlocks automatically for players who pre-ordered digitally and finished the pre-load. Pre-loading opened on 10 November, and the game needs up to 212 GB of free space, as Rockstar’s pre-load FAQ states. Players who have not pre-loaded must download the full game after it unlocks. That can take hours on slower connections, as we covered in our report on GTA 6 pre-load times and file size.
Retail boxes contain a download code rather than a disc. Owners of physical editions still need to download the game, and Rockstar has not said whether any stores will open at midnight. GTA VI is available only on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S at launch. Xbox One owners can play through Xbox Cloud Gaming, as we covered in our report on GTA 6 coming to Xbox One through the cloud.
Some players plan to switch their console region to New Zealand to start 21 hours earlier. Rockstar has not commented on the practice. The method differs between PS5 and Xbox, as we covered in our report on playing GTA 6 early with the New Zealand trick. Rockstar has not announced a PC version or a PC release date.
GTA 6 release time FAQ
What time does GTA 6 come out? GTA VI unlocks at 12:00 AM local time on 19 November 2026 in each region. It goes live first in New Zealand at 11:00 UTC on 18 November and last on the US West Coast at 08:00 UTC on 19 November.
What time does GTA 6 release in India? GTA VI unlocks at 12:00 AM IST on Thursday, 19 November, on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. The Standard Edition costs ₹5,999 and the Ultimate Edition ₹7,499, as we covered in our report on what it costs to play GTA 6 in India.
Does GTA 6 release at the same time on PS5 and Xbox? Yes. Both consoles unlock the game at midnight local time on 19 November. Only the pre-load start times differed between the two platforms.
What time does GTA 6 release in the UK and US? GTA VI unlocks at 12:00 AM GMT on 19 November in the UK. In the US, it unlocks at midnight in each time zone, from 05:00 UTC on the East Coast to 08:00 UTC on the West Coast.
Full edition details are on the official GTA VI website. GTA VI launches on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on 19 November.
