Grand Theft Auto VI is one week away. On 12 November 2026 Rockstar Games posted on X that the launch is “now only one week away”, reminded players that pre-orders and pre-loads are still open, and said the code-in-box version is now available for pick-up at retailers worldwide. The same day, YouTube’s official blog post and a Rockstar repost set out the livestream timetable: a pre-show starts on 18 November at 11 p.m. ET (19 November, 5:00 a.m. CET), and the 24-hour GTA VI launch livestream itself starts on 19 November at 12:00 a.m. ET (midnight, 6:00 a.m. CET). This article was updated after that blog post was checked. Everything below comes from those official posts, the YouTube blog, and the official YouTube stream page. For the unlock time in your region, see the release page. For pre-load steps, see the preload guide.
What Rockstar said on 12 November
Rockstar’s post on X reads in full:
Grand Theft Auto VI is now only one week away!
Thank you to everyone in the community for your incredible support.
There’s still time to pre-order and pre-load so you’re ready on launch day.
Code-in-box versions are also available now for pick-up at retailers worldwide.
In a follow-up reply Rockstar added: “See you in Leonida next week!” The release date doesn’t change. Grand Theft Auto VI still launches on 19 November 2026 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. A PC version still hasn’t been announced (see PC status).
YouTube’s 24-hour GTA VI launch livestream
YouTube announced on X: “the biggest launch of all time deserves the biggest livestream. 24 hours. 11/18. 11pm ET. YouTube.” Rockstar reposted it on its own account. The official stream page on YouTube’s own channel is titled “LIVE Nov 19 | Launch Day: YouTube’s 24 Hour GTAVI Livestream”. Its description says to “tune in live on November 18th @ 11P ET for our pre-show kickoff”.
The official YouTube blog post of 12 November 2026 makes the split explicit. The pre-show, hosted by RDCWorld, starts at 11 p.m. ET on 18 November. The 24-hour livestream itself starts at 12:00 a.m. ET (midnight) on 19 November on youtube.com/youtube.
| Region | Pre-show (RDCWorld) | 24-hour livestream |
|---|---|---|
| US East (ET) | 18 November, 11:00 p.m. | 19 November, 12:00 a.m. |
| US West (PT) | 18 November, 8:00 p.m. | 18 November, 9:00 p.m. |
| UK (GMT) | 19 November, 4:00 a.m. | 19 November, 5:00 a.m. |
| Central Europe (CET) | 19 November, 5:00 a.m. | 19 November, 6:00 a.m. |
| Gulf (GST) | 19 November, 8:00 a.m. | 19 November, 9:00 a.m. |
The stream page matches the pre-show time. YouTube lists separate streams in seven languages: English, Hindi, Spanish, Arabic, Indonesian, Japanese and Portuguese. No German stream is listed so far.
What the stream includes
According to the YouTube blog, the 24-hour stream is “packed with live gameplay, creator podcasts, and original content” and names creators including Caylus, Zhong and Kat, Jelly, Rivers, Jake Baldino, Cinna “and more”. The marathon “will wrap with live on-the-ground coverage from Miami, bringing viewers to the action alongside creators and special guests.” Fans can open the global broadcast by clicking the custom GTAVI-themed YouTube logo (called a Yoodle in the blog) on the YouTube homepage.
What isn’t confirmed: a German-language stream is still not listed. The blog does not publish an hour-by-hour rundown, and it does not name the special guests for the Miami coverage. We’ll update this article if YouTube or Rockstar add official details.
Code-in-box now at retailers
The code-in-box edition is the boxed version. Under Rockstar’s earlier pre-order details, it contains a download code, not a disc (see editions). PlayStation Support’s code page explains how it works on PS5:
- You can use the code as soon as you receive your copy, then pre-load the game.
- You redeem it in your PlayStation account under Redeem Code.
- After you enter the code, you can upgrade to the Ultimate Edition through the QR code in the box.
- You still can’t play before 19 November 2026.
- If a code is missing, damaged or already used, PlayStation tells you to contact the retailer. Content can’t be moved between accounts.
That matches Rockstar Newswire from 10 November. It said code-in-box buyers can “activate their code and begin pre-loading as soon as it’s received” (details in our pre-load news).
Checklist for the final week
- Pre-order and pre-load: digital pre-orders can download now. Check free space on the download size page.
- Boxed copy: redeem the code on the right account as soon as you have it.
- Launch time: GTA VI unlocks at midnight local time on PS5. Xbox times are on the release page.
- Launch day: our launch-day checklist covers everything else.