Rockstar plans to roll out Grand Theft Auto VI sequentially as each region hits midnight on November 19. If the release schedule remains unchanged and no new restrictions are imposed, Xbox players may be able to change their console's region to New Zealand to access the game earlier than those waiting for their local midnight.
As the release date approaches, some players have already purchased new consoles for Grand Theft Auto VI. Under the current plan, the game will unlock separately as each region reaches midnight on November 19, rather than having a simultaneous global launch. The time differences between regions may therefore affect when players can actually start playing.
Taking New Zealand as an example, when it strikes midnight on November 19 there, it will still be 3:00 AM on November 18 on the US West Coast, 5:00 AM in the Central Time Zone, and 6:00 AM in the Eastern Time Zone. According to this schedule, Xbox players on the US West Coast could theoretically play more than 20 hours earlier than PS5 players waiting for their local midnight if they can unlock the game by switching regions.
Whether this method will work still depends on whether new regional restrictions are added before launch and whether Rockstar adjusts the unlock schedule. Under the current arrangement, PS5 players must wait until midnight in their respective regions to access the game.
Grand Theft Auto VI will launch with single-player content only, without an online mode. Players will still need to download the game; sources indicate that physical editions will not include a game disc, and buyers of physical copies will receive a digital redemption code instead.
The game is scheduled to launch on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S on November 19. The PC version will not be released simultaneously, and there is currently no information regarding its release date.