How to play GTA 6 early in India and the US: the New Zealand trick is live

GTA 6 releases globally on 19 November 2026 — but players in the US and India can start playing at midnight local time on 18 November, thanks to a well-documented regional timing exploit. The trick hinges on New Zealand’s time zone: it’s among the first places on Earth to hit midnight, giving an 18-hour head start over Eastern Time and a full day over Indian Standard Time (IST).

Rockstar has not blocked or patched the method. It remains fully functional for both PS5 and Xbox Series X|S as of 3 November 2026, per Beebom’s reporting. No early access codes, beta keys, or leaks are involved, just standard pre-orders and region-based storefront timing. The PS5 route requires creating a separate New Zealand PlayStation Network account, purchasing GTA 6 there, and preloading its 210 GB file size.

You cannot change your existing PSN account’s region, so dual accounts are mandatory. Payment methods may flag mismatches, especially if your card is issued outside New Zealand, and console sharing permissions could complicate access across profiles. Xbox users get a smoother path: simply switch the region setting on their existing Microsoft account to New Zealand, pre-order the game from that storefront, and launch at NZ midnight on 18 November.