GTA 6 unlock time in the US and Canada
Free companion for your phoneInstall it once. It keeps your launch checklist, tracks your progress and looks up cheats and radio beside the TV, even with no signal.Open and installNot settled. Rockstar says midnight local time. Both stores list one moment for the whole country: 12:00 a.m. Eastern. Plan for both.
What each source says
Rockstar: Midnight local time on 19 November 2026 in all regions, on both PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Official
The stores: PlayStation Store and Microsoft Store data for the US and Canada both list one release moment: 05:00 UTC on 19 November, which is 12:00 a.m. Eastern. Official
Microsoft's general help: Microsoft's general pre-order help says games usually release shortly after 12:00 AM local time, and that in countries with several time zones there may be a delay in some zones. Official
What is still open: Nobody first-party has said what happens west of Eastern time. If the store moment applies to the whole country, Los Angeles gets the game at 9 p.m. on 18 November. If Rockstar's "midnight local time" applies to each zone, it gets it at midnight on 19 November. Unconfirmed
Both outcomes, zone by zone
| Time zone | If each zone gets midnight | If 12:00 a.m. Eastern covers the country |
|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland | 12:00 a.m., 19 Nov | 1:30 a.m., 19 Nov |
| Atlantic | 12:00 a.m., 19 Nov | 1:00 a.m., 19 Nov |
| Eastern | 12:00 a.m., 19 Nov | 12:00 a.m., 19 Nov |
| Central | 12:00 a.m., 19 Nov | 11:00 p.m., 18 Nov |
| Mountain | 12:00 a.m., 19 Nov | 10:00 p.m., 18 Nov |
| Pacific | 12:00 a.m., 19 Nov | 9:00 p.m., 18 Nov |
| Alaska | 12:00 a.m., 19 Nov | 8:00 p.m., 18 Nov |
| Hawaii | 12:00 a.m., 19 Nov | 7:00 p.m., 18 Nov |
What to do
- Finish your pre-load well before the evening of 18 November, so either outcome works.
- West of Eastern time, try the game at 12:00 a.m. Eastern. If it does not start, the answer for your zone is local midnight.
- In Atlantic Canada and Newfoundland, try at local midnight, and again an hour or so later if needed.
- Do not change your console's region or clock to get in sooner. It can break store terms and affect your purchases.
Other countries with several zones
Australia has the same open question. Microsoft's data lists midnight in Sydney for the whole country, which would be 9 p.m. on 18 November in Perth. Mexico and Brazil also have one listed moment each. Official How those moments apply to other zones is unconfirmed. Unconfirmed
What every store lists
| Store country | Listed moment | Which is | Read from |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 19 Nov, 05:00 UTC | 12:00 a.m. Eastern | PlayStation and Microsoft |
| Canada | 19 Nov, 05:00 UTC | 12:00 a.m. Eastern | PlayStation and Microsoft |
| Mexico | 19 Nov, 06:00 UTC | 12:00 a.m. Mexico City | Microsoft |
| Brazil | 19 Nov, 03:00 UTC | 12:00 a.m. Sao Paulo | Microsoft |
| United Kingdom | 19 Nov, 00:00 UTC | 12:00 a.m. London | PlayStation and Microsoft |
| Germany | 18 Nov, 23:00 UTC | 12:00 a.m. Berlin | PlayStation and Microsoft |
| France | 18 Nov, 23:00 UTC | 12:00 a.m. Paris | Microsoft |
| Japan | 18 Nov, 15:00 UTC | 12:00 a.m. Tokyo | Microsoft |
| Australia | 18 Nov, 13:00 UTC | 12:00 a.m. Sydney | Microsoft |
| New Zealand | 18 Nov, 11:00 UTC | 12:00 a.m. Auckland | Microsoft |
Read from the stores' own product data on 4 November 2026. Official A store date is a listing, not a promise about when your console unlocks.
Questions
What time does GTA 6 unlock on the West Coast?
Nobody first-party has said what happens west of Eastern time. If the store moment applies to the whole country, Los Angeles gets the game at 9 p.m. on 18 November. If Rockstar's "midnight local time" applies to each zone, it gets it at midnight on 19 November. Unconfirmed
Does Canada get it at the same time as the US?
The US and Canada stores list the same moment, 05:00 UTC on 19 November. Official Whether that moment applies across every zone is unconfirmed. Unconfirmed
Is the Xbox unlock different from PS5?
Rockstar gives the same rule for both, and both stores list the same moment for the US and Canada. Official
Keep reading
When it unlocks where you live
Your unlock time on your clock
PS5, Xbox and code in box, with the settings to change first
Sources: Rockstar Support: regional pre-load and release times, PlayStation Store US listing, PlayStation Store Canada listing, Microsoft Store catalogue data, US market, Xbox: pre-order FAQ.
Last updated 2026-11-05. Tags mark what is official, reported or unconfirmed. Spotted an error? Email us.