Unlock times by region
Times below are in UTC, as reported ahead of launch. They line up with midnight local time in each region.
| UTC time | Regions |
|---|---|
| Nov 18, 11:00 | New Zealand |
| Nov 18, 13:00 | Australia (east coast) |
| Nov 18, 15:00 | Japan, South Korea |
| Nov 18, 16:00 | Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore |
| Nov 18, 17:00 | Thailand, Indonesia |
| Nov 18, 18:30 | India |
| Nov 18, 20:00 | UAE |
| Nov 18, 21:00 | Saudi Arabia, Turkey |
| Nov 18, 22:00 | Finland, Romania, South Africa, Ukraine, Greece |
| Nov 18, 23:00 | Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden and most of central Europe |
| Nov 19, 00:00 | UK, Ireland, Portugal |
| Nov 19, 03:00 | Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay |
| Nov 19, 05:00 | USA & Canada (midnight ET / 9pm PT Nov 18), Colombia, Peru, Ecuador |
| Nov 19, 06:00 | Mexico and Central America |
US time zones
| Zone | Unlock |
|---|---|
| Eastern | 12:00am Thu, Nov 19 |
| Central | 11:00pm Wed, Nov 18 |
| Mountain | 10:00pm Wed, Nov 18 |
| Pacific | 9:00pm Wed, Nov 18 |
Assumes a single North American unlock at midnight Eastern, which is how the reported schedule reads. We'll update this page the moment Rockstar or the stores confirm otherwise.
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Quick answers
What time does GTA 6 come out in the US?
GTA 6 unlocks at midnight Eastern on Thursday, November 19, 2026 (05:00 UTC). On the West Coast that's 9pm Pacific on Wednesday, November 18.
What time does GTA 6 release in the UK?
Midnight UK time on Thursday, November 19, 2026.
Is GTA 6 a rolling midnight release?
Yes. Reported unlock times follow midnight local time region by region, starting with New Zealand on November 18 UTC.
Can I play GTA 6 early with a VPN?
Regional unlocks are tied to your console's store region, and switching regions to play early can violate store terms. We don't recommend it.
Launch-week alerts
Unlock times, day-one patch size, and new guides the minute they drop. One email when it matters, no spam.