Grand Theft Auto VI releases on Thursday, November 19, 2026, and the PlayStation Store and Microsoft Store listings are set to unlock it at midnight local store time. That means 00:00 on November 19 in the UK, and midnight Eastern Time in the US. Rockstar hasn’t published an official unlock schedule yet, so treat these store timestamps as the best evidence until it does.
Here is the full picture, region by region.
Unlock Times by Store Region
These are the release timestamps on the PlayStation Store and Microsoft Store, which agree in every region we checked. Each one lands at midnight in that store’s local time:
| Store region | Local unlock | UTC |
|---|---|---|
| United States and Canada | 12:00 AM ET, Nov 19 | 05:00, Nov 19 |
| Mexico | 12:00 AM, Nov 19 | 06:00, Nov 19 |
| Brazil | 12:00 AM, Nov 19 | 03:00, Nov 19 |
| United Kingdom | 12:00 AM GMT, Nov 19 | 00:00, Nov 19 |
| Germany and France | 12:00 AM CET, Nov 19 | 23:00, Nov 18 |
| India | 12:00 AM IST, Nov 19 | 18:30, Nov 18 |
| Singapore | 12:00 AM, Nov 19 | 16:00, Nov 18 |
| Japan | 12:00 AM JST, Nov 19 | 15:00, Nov 18 |
| Australia (Sydney) | 12:00 AM AEDT, Nov 19 | 13:00, Nov 18 |
| New Zealand | 12:00 AM NZDT, Nov 19 | 11:00, Nov 18 |
A midnight local launch fits what Rockstar did with pre-orders, which opened “at midnight local time” on June 25, per its Newswire.
The Open Question for US Players
The US store listing has a single timestamp, keyed to midnight Eastern. What isn’t clear yet is whether players in other US time zones unlock at the same moment or at their own local midnight:
- If it’s one US-wide unlock: Central Time players get it at 11 PM on November 18, Mountain at 10 PM and Pacific at 9 PM.
- If each time zone waits for its own midnight: everyone plays from 12 AM local on November 19.
Rockstar or the platform holders usually confirm launch-night times in the final week. We’ll update this guide as soon as they do, and at the latest when preloading opens on November 12.
Make Sure You Can Play the Moment It Unlocks
- Preload. Digital pre-orders can download the game from November 12, so it’s ready to launch at unlock. Our preload guide walks through the settings on PS5 and Xbox.
- Boxed copies: the box holds a download code, not a disc, and boxed copies are available from November 12 so you can redeem and preload. See whether the physical version has a disc.
- Watch your account region. Your unlock follows your store region, not where you physically are. Rockstar’s boxed PlayStation codes are also region locked.
- Check your console. GTA 6 is only on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, as our guide to PS4, Xbox One and Switch 2 explains.
Can You Play GTA 6 Early
No early access has been announced for either edition. The Ultimate Edition adds in-game bonuses, not an earlier start, as our editions guide shows.
Every GTA 6 guide is collected on our GTA hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time does GTA 6 come out? The store listings show midnight local time on November 19, 2026: 12 AM ET in the US and 00:00 in the UK. Rockstar hasn’t confirmed official times yet.
Does GTA 6 unlock on November 18 anywhere? In UTC terms, yes: Europe, Asia and Oceania hit their local midnight while it’s still November 18 in UTC. Locally, every store unlocks on November 19.
Does GTA 6 unlock at the same time in every US time zone? Not confirmed. The US store timestamp is midnight Eastern; Rockstar hasn’t said whether western time zones unlock then or at their own midnight.
Can you preload GTA 6? Yes, digital pre-orders can preload from November 12, 2026.
Is there early access for GTA 6? No early access has been announced for either edition.