Your first hour
What to check, claim and skip in the first hour after GTA VI unlocks.
Before midnight
Check that the preload finished. Preload opened on 12 November, so the game should be installed and only waiting to unlock. A boxed copy holds a download code, not a disc, so it needs the same download. Rockstar hasn’t published an exact unlock time, and neither the install size nor a day-one patch has been announced. Leave the console on and connected in case an update lands at launch.
If it won’t start
Check the service status page on support.rockstargames.com first. Busy servers on launch night are normal. Problems with a purchase or a missing download go to the store you bought from (PlayStation, Xbox or the shop), not to Rockstar.
What you don’t need to claim
- Ultimate Edition items unlock chapter by chapter as you play the story. There is nothing to hunt for in the first hour.
- The Vintage Vice City Pack (a ’55 Vapid Stanier with a garage, outfits, hairstyles and a weapon pattern) comes with every purchase before 20 November. Rockstar hasn’t said where it shows up in the game.
- The GTA+ month comes with a digital copy bought before 20 November, so launch day still counts. It covers GTA Online, not the story. You claim it in the PlayStation Store (by 31 March 2027) or under Offers & Credits in the Microsoft Store (within 180 days), and it renews at full price until you cancel. With no GTA Online at launch, there’s no hurry.
Playing as two
You play as Jason and Lucia. Some missions lock you to one of them, some make you switch and some let you choose. So don’t worry if you can’t switch whenever you like.
Rookdex on launch night
At midnight the home page turns into your dashboard. Tick what you find in the tracker, and What’s next shows the category you’re closest to finishing. Everything stays on your device, even when the wifi is busy.