Using the so-called ‘New Zealand trick,’ Call of Duty fans will be able to play Black Ops 6 up to a day early. Here’s how it works:
If you’re wondering why you’re seeing other users already dropping into Black Ops 6, it’s likely because they’ve either received an early copy of the game – or they’re using the New Zealand trick!
The NZ trick has been available for several years, and it’s something of an open secret for players to take advantage of. The gist of the trick is setting your location to New Zealand where, thanks to time zones, Black Ops 6 will launch before anywhere else in the world.
Here’s everything you need to know about using the New Zealand trick to play Black Ops 6 early!
Will the New Zealand Trick Work on Black Ops 6?
Yes, the New Zealand trick works for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, allowing fans to play the new COD title up to a day early!
This is because the upcoming game once again has a regional release time of 12 AM on October 25, 2024, for all players on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Since 12 AM on October 25 in New Zealand time translates to 4 AM on October 24 in Pacific Time, that means users in the US will be able to play almost a full day early!
How to Use the New Zealand Trick
Xbox
To do the New Zealand trick on Xbox, it’s as simple as changing both your Activision and Xbox profile location to New Zealand!
Step 1:
- Navigate to Settings on the Xbox Dashboard.
- Choose System.
- Click on the Location dropdown menu and pick New Zealand.
- Select English (New Zealand) as your Language Region.
- To apply the changes, press the “Restart now” button.
Step 2:
- Head to the official Call of Duty website
- Click Login, in the top right corner of the screen
- Sign in using your Activision address
- Click profile name in the top right, then select Basic Info from the dropdown list
- Click Edit, next to Address
- Type in any New Zealand address (use this Random New Zealand Address Generator if needed) Don’t forget to hit Save!
Your console will now act as if it is in New Zealand, where Black Ops 6 launches at midnight local time – equivalent to 4 AM PT / 7 AM ET on October 24!
That means you can play Black Ops 6 almost a full day early!
PlayStation
To use the New Zealand trick on PlayStation, all you need to do is change your Activision profile to New Zealand!
- Head to the official Call of Duty website
- Click Login, in the top right corner of the screen
- Sign in using your Activision address
- Click profile name in the top right, then select Basic Info from the dropdown list
- Click Edit, next to Address
- Type in any New Zealand address (use this Random New Zealand Address Generator if needed) Don’t forget to hit Save!
Now boot up Call of Duty and you’ll be able to access Black Ops 6 content early, without the need for any additional tricks.
If this isn’t enough for some reason, you can also head into your PlayStation Settings > System > Date and Time > Time Zone to set yourself to a New Zealand address. However, this hasn’t been necessary in previous years.
PC
It appears that it will be possible to play Black Ops 6 early using the New Zealand trick on PC, but only if you’re playing through the Xbox PC app.
If you purchased the game via the Microsoft Store, or you’re using Game Pass PC, follow these steps:
Step 1:
- Open the Windows Start Menu by clicking the icon in the bottom left of your screen
- Select ‘Settings’
- Choose ‘Time and Language’
- Then, change your time zone to Auckland, Wellington
Step 2:
- Head to the official Call of Duty website
- Click Login, in the top right corner of the screen
- Sign in using your Activision address
- Click profile name in the top right, then select Basic Info from the dropdown list
- Click Edit, next to Address
- Type in any New Zealand address (use this Random New Zealand Address Generator if needed) Don’t forget to hit Save!
Unfortunately, since Black Ops 6 has a single global release time on other PC launchers, trying to trick the system into thinking you’re in New Zealand will be ineffective.
After all, the New Zealand players will only gain access to the game at the same time as you do!
It’s worth noting that last year, PC players were able to join sessions with friends who were playing MW3 on other platforms that had already gone live.
However, this year, users are reporting that Black Ops 6 is kicking users who join games before the game releases on their platform.
Can You Get Banned For Using the New Zealand Trick?
No, there have been no reports of users being banned for using the New Zealand trick in previous years, and the workaround is something of an open secret in the gaming community.
We’ve seen accounts such as Xbox’s official page openly welcoming the influx of ‘new New Zealand residents’ alongside the launches of highly-anticipated titles.
Therefore, we doubt there will ever be any form of negative consequence for using the trick.