GTA VI will unlock region by region, and the US is near the back of the queue
GameSpot's reading of Rockstar's local-midnight launch puts New Zealand and Australia first and the US among the last major regions, with a gap of about 16 hours.
Grand Theft Auto VI will unlock at midnight local time in each region, Rockstar says in its regional release times page, and GameSpot has worked out what that means for the order. New Zealand and Australia play first. The US is among the last major regions.
The schedule itself is not new. PlayStation Store data had already suggested a rollout in waves by time zone, and Rockstar's confirmation covers PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
GameSpot puts New Zealand's midnight unlock at 5 AM PT / 8 AM ET on November 18, which means US players will wait about 16 hours longer than players in New Zealand. Its warning is practical: people in the US may run into spoilers while other regions are already playing.
Rockstar has confirmed that the 212GB download opens on November 10 for digital copies, as we reported earlier. Boxed versions, which contain a download code rather than a disc, can preload from November 12. Preloading only moves the download earlier. The game still stays locked until midnight in your region.
Sensor Tower estimates close to 7 million preorders so far and says the figure could reach 25 million by launch, worth over $2 billion. That is a third-party projection, not a Rockstar number.
