GTA 6 release time in New Zealand
Updated · Every fact labelled and sourced
New Zealand is first in the world. GTA 6 unlocks on the NZ PlayStation Store at 12:00am NZDT on Thursday 19 November 2026, which is 11:00 UTC on 18 November. That's two hours ahead of Australia and 18 hours ahead of the US East Coast.
Countdown to unlock: New Zealand store, 12:00am, Thu 19 Nov NZDT
In your time zone: 11:00, Wed 18 Nov UTC
New Zealand unlock times by city
| City / time zone | Unlock (local) |
|---|---|
| Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch (NZDT) | 12:00am, Thu 19 Nov |
| Chatham Islands (CHADT) | 12:45am, Thu 19 Nov |
Reported From the store listing [1] [2]. Rockstar hasn't confirmed an hour.
What to know
Launch night is on daylight time (NZDT, UTC+13). Because New Zealand goes first, early NZ streams will be the first real look at the game, so mute spoilers if you're in another region.
On the store's single national timestamp, the Chatham Islands unlock at 12:45am local.
Pre-loading opens on Thursday 12 November. At 100 Mbps fibre, the leaked 210 GB PS5 size takes about 4 hours 40 minutes.
Key facts
- Release date: 19 November 2026 Confirmed [1]
- Pre-load: from 12 November 2026 Confirmed
- PS5 download: 210 GB Leaked · Xbox: Unknown (file size details)
Other regions: full GTA 6 unlock table.
FAQ
What time does GTA 6 come out in NZ?
12:00am NZDT on Thursday 19 November 2026 per the NZ PlayStation Store listing. That's the earliest unlock of any region. Rockstar has not announced an official hour.
Is New Zealand the first country to get GTA 6?
Yes. Of all the dated store listings, New Zealand unlocks first at 11:00 UTC on 18 November.
When can I pre-load GTA 6 in New Zealand?
From Thursday 12 November 2026 for digital pre-orders.