Grand Theft Auto VI unlocks here at midnight on Thursday 19 November, ahead of every other country. Overseas players are already working out how to fake being Kiwi.
GTA VI unlocks in New Zealand at midnight on Thursday 19 November, the first country in the world, per the NZ Herald.
That’s about 20 hours before Mexico and Central America. Australia, Taiwan, India and central Europe follow NZ.
Pre-loading opens 10 November: midnight local time on PS5, and 1pm NZ time on Xbox. It needs up to 212GB.
Overseas players are switching their Xbox region to NZ, or making NZ PSN accounts, a route GameSpot says isn’t exactly safe.
Forbes says GTA VI has passed US$750 million in pre-sales. It’s R18 in NZ and console-only at launch.
Kiwi gamers, set your alarms. Grand Theft Auto VI unlocks in New Zealand at midnight on Thursday 19 November, which makes us the first country on the planet to play it. Being stuck at the bottom of the map finally pays off, and the rest of the world is already scheming to pretend they live here.
The NZ Herald reports the game goes live here about 20 hours before it reaches Mexico and Central America, with Australia, Taiwan, India and central Europe following behind us.
GTA VI launches on 19 November on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. There’s no PC version at launch. If every region unlocks at local midnight, as the Herald describes, here’s how the rollout looks from here:
Yes, that means Kiwis get a two-hour head start on Sydney and Melbourne. Enjoy it, because it doesn’t happen often.
Rockstar says digital pre-loading opens on Tuesday 10 November, VGC reports. On PS5 it starts at midnight local time, so New Zealand is first again. On Xbox it’s one global start at 12am GMT, which is 1pm on the 10th here.
The pre-load is up to 212GB depending on your console, so start deleting things now. Code-in-box copies (there’s no disc, just a code in a box) should hit retailers from 12 November. Rockstar is also putting a printable cover poster and a map of Leonida on its website on launch day.
Like the rest of the series, GTA VI is restricted to people 18 and over in New Zealand. Expect the full GTA package: violence, drug use and sexual content, set in Leonida, Rockstar’s take on Florida, with a Bonnie-and-Clyde-style couple in the lead.
According to the Herald, overseas players are already working out how to play at the same time as us. US site GameSpot says Xbox owners can easily change the location setting on their console to New Zealand.
PlayStation is messier. GameSpot’s Darren Bonthuys says PS5 owners would need to set up a new PlayStation Network account with New Zealand as the region, then buy the game with NZ-dollar PSN gift cards from an online key retailer. GameSpot itself says that route “isn’t exactly safe”.
On Reddit, some called the whole thing impatience. Others wanted to know why Kiwis get to play first at all. The answer is the International Date Line. We didn’t choose it, but we’ll take it.
The Herald cites Forbes saying GTA VI has already passed US$750 million in pre-sales and is on track to beat the record set by GTA V in 2013. It was meant to be out in late 2025, then early 2026, before delays and a stream of leaks pushed it to this month.
If you need a refresher, catch up on the launch trailer and everything else you need to know.
Being first in the world to GTA 6 is the most New Zealand win there is. We earned it entirely through geography, and it lands at midnight on a work night. If you want to be driving around Leonida at 12:01am, pre-load on the 10th and read our guide on getting the day off for GTA 6.
As for the time-zone tourists overseas: switching an Xbox’s region is low-stakes. The PSN route is a mug’s game. Buying gift cards from grey-market key sellers is how people end up with dodgy codes and a headache with Sony, all to play a game a few hours early. It’s less than a day. Go to bed.
Staying up for the midnight launch, or playing it like a sane person after a night’s sleep? Tell us on the GetRekt Discord.
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