GTA 6 staggered release time means New Zealand plays first, 19 hours early

PlayStation Store listings suggest Grand Theft Auto 6 will launch at 12 a.m. local time in each region rather than simultaneously worldwide, a staggered rollout that could give players in New Zealand a 19-hour head start over those in the last regions to get the game, Mexico, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Costa Rica. Polygon reported the listings and said it has reached out to Rockstar Games for confirmation, which has not yet responded. GTAVice compiled the regional schedules from PlayStation Store data.

The timing matters for players hoping to play early. Xbox owners can change their console's region to New Zealand and start at 12 a.m. NZDT. PlayStation accounts are region-locked, so early access requires creating a new account set to New Zealand and playing the game on that account rather than a main one. Rockstar has not said whether it can change how Sony handles regional rollouts.

Grand Theft Auto 6 is scheduled for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X on Nov. 19. The staggered timing also raises spoiler concerns, since New Zealand players will be exploring the game for hours before most of the world can join.