What Time Does GTA 6 Come Out? Unlock Times and Countdown

GTA 6 comes out on Thursday, November 19, 2026, and is expected to unlock at midnight local time in each region. That means New Zealand gets it first, the UK at midnight GMT, and the US East Coast at 12:00 AM ET on November 19. You can download the game in advance from November 12, so it is ready to play the moment it unlocks.

The countdown above runs to midnight on November 19 in your own time zone. Below is the full list of unlock times by country, how pre-loading works, and what still has not been confirmed.

Rockstar Games has confirmed the day, November 19, 2026, but has not published an official unlock hour. The regional PlayStation Store listings point to a rolling midnight release: each storefront region unlocks at 12:00 AM local time, starting in the Pacific and moving west around the world.

Treat the times below as the expected schedule rather than a guarantee. If Rockstar or the console stores announce a different hour, such as one simultaneous worldwide release, this page will be updated.

From the first unlock in New Zealand to the last on the US West Coast is about 21 hours. Players in Hawaii and Alaska unlock later still, at their own local midnight.

In the United States, GTA 6 is expected to unlock at 12:00 AM on Thursday, November 19, in your own time zone. Fans on the East Coast can start three hours before fans in California.

There is one possible exception to know about. Some big games unlock across the whole US at once, at midnight Eastern. If GTA 6 does that on your store, the West Coast would get it at 9:00 PM PT on Wednesday, November 18, and the Central zone at 11:00 PM CT. Check the release time shown on your game's store page during launch week, because that will reflect your account's region.

The countdown at the top of this page shows the exact days, hours and minutes until midnight on November 19 where you are. Counting from the day this page was published, October 28, 2026, the wait was 22 days.

Two dates come before launch day:

• November 12, 2026: pre-loading opens, and boxed copies go on sale.
• November 19, 2026: the game unlocks and becomes playable.

For a bigger live timer with a time zone picker, use our GTA 6 countdown.

Pre-loading starts on November 12, 2026, one week before launch, on both PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Pre-loading means the game downloads to your console in advance but stays locked until the unlock time. Rockstar has not announced the exact hour pre-loads open.

It applies to every way of buying the game:

• Digital pre-orders: the download starts automatically if your console has automatic downloads turned on.
• Boxed copies: there is no disc. The box holds a download code, and it goes on sale on November 12 so physical buyers can pre-load too. Our GTA 6 price and editions guide explains what is in the box.
• Buying in launch week: anyone who buys between November 12 and 19 can start downloading right away.

1. Go to Settings, then Saved Data and Game/App Settings, then Automatic Updates, and turn on Auto-Download.
2. Keep the console in Rest Mode with Stay Connected to the Internet enabled.
3. If the download has not started by November 12, open your Game Library, find Grand Theft Auto VI under Purchased and select Download.

1. Go to Settings, then General, then Power options, and choose the Sleep mode so the console can download while off.
2. Under Settings, then System, then Updates, keep games up to date automatically.
3. If needed, open My games & apps, then Full library, find Grand Theft Auto VI and select Install.

Rockstar has not announced an official download size yet. A widely shared report puts the PS5 pre-load at about 210 GB, based on data spotted by a game-size tracking account, but Sony's store does not list the size yet and no Xbox figure has appeared. Clearing 250 GB before November 12 is a sensible safety margin. Our GTA 6 file size guide tracks the official number once it is published.

GTA 6 releases on a Thursday. Rockstar named the day itself when it announced the date, saying the game will release on Thursday, November 19, 2026. For players in the Americas, that may mean a late-night start on Wednesday, November 18, depending on how their store handles the unlock.

No. There is no early access in any edition. The Ultimate Edition costs more but unlocks at exactly the same moment as the Standard Edition. Any site or video selling "early access" to GTA 6 is a scam.

Some players try to unlock it hours early by switching their console to the New Zealand time zone or region. Do not count on this. Console stores usually lock releases to your account's region rather than your clock, and changing regions can stop your pre-order from working.

Yes. The game was delayed twice before landing on November 19, 2026, but nothing has changed since November 2025, and Take-Two repeated the date at its most recent earnings report. Our GTA 6 delay tracker follows every update, and the GTA 6 release date guide covers the full launch details.

GTA 6 launches only on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on November 19. There is no PC release date yet, so there is no PC unlock time. Follow our GTA 6 PC release page for news.

What time does GTA 6 come out in EST?

12:00 AM ET on Thursday, November 19, 2026, which is 05:00 UTC.

What time does GTA 6 come out in PST?

Expected at 12:00 AM PT on November 19. If the US store uses a single Eastern-time unlock instead, it would be 9:00 PM PT on November 18.

What time does GTA 6 come out in the UK?

12:00 AM GMT on Thursday, November 19, 2026.

Where does GTA 6 come out first?

New Zealand, at midnight local time, which is 11:00 UTC on November 18.

When can I pre-load GTA 6?

From November 12, 2026, on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, for both digital and boxed copies.

Does GTA 6 release at the same time worldwide?

Not according to the store listings so far. Each region is expected to unlock at its own local midnight.