- GTA 6’s PS5 release will roll out across 15 launch windows worldwide, meaning some players will get access earlier than others.
- According to the PlayStation Store listing, the game will unlock first in New Zealand on November 18, 2026.
- However, the release schedule ends in Central America 19 hours after the game debuts in New Zealand.
Yes, you heard that right. GTA 6’s PS5 release will span 15 different launch windows worldwide, meaning some players will get to play it earlier than others, and that’s a problem. The release schedule starts with New Zealand at 11 AM UTC on November 18, 2026, and ends with Central America 19 hours later around 6 AM UTC on November 19.
According to GTA Vice’s report, the official GTA 6 PlayStation Store listing says the game will launch across 63 regions through 15 different launch windows, meaning Rockstar isn’t releasing it worldwide at the same time.
Here’s the full list of regions, ordered from the earliest to the latest GTA 6 unlock time.
- New Zealand
- Australia
- Japan, South Korea
- Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan
- Indonesia, Thailand
- India
- UAE
- Saudi Arabia, Turkey
- Bulgaria, Cyprus, Finland, Greece, Romania, South Africa, Ukraine
- Central Europe
- UK, Ireland, Iceland, Portugal
- Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Chile, Uruguay
- Bolivia
- US, Canada
- Mexico, Central America
So, if you’re in New Zealand, you’re in luck, as you can play GTA 6 before everyone else on the planet on November 18. Meanwhile, if you’re in Mexico or Central America, waiting to play the game with your GTA 6 PS5 controller in hand, you’ll have to wait 19 hours longer.
Of course, GTA 6’s PS5 release schedule has angered many fans on X, with most claiming Rockstar should’ve opted for a simultaneous worldwide release. User LegacyKillaHD says, “Not having a simultaneous release in the big year of 2026 sucks,” while another user, Mattdek, comments, “GTA VI releases 10 hours before in NZ, so I can’t be on social media when it’s November 18th.”
When Rockstar previously announced GTA 6 would have an all-digital release, meaning there would be no physical discs at launch, most players thought the decision was made to avoid GTA 6 leaks or to have a global launch at the same time.
Unfortunately, in both cases, that’s a far cry from reality. That said, what do you think about GTA 5’s release schedule? Tell us in the comments section below.
