Forza Horizon 6 New Zealand trick goes viral before full Xbox launch

Forza Horizon 6 is almost ready for its full Xbox and Game Pass launch, but many players are already trying to get in early through the familiar “New Zealand trick.”

The method has been popular on Xbox for years. Since many games unlock at midnight local time, New Zealand often gets access before players in the US, UK, and other regions. By changing an Xbox console’s region to New Zealand and restarting the system, some players can access a game earlier than they normally would in their own country.

Forza Horizon 6 is the latest major release to bring the trick back into the spotlight. The game’s full launch is set for May 19, but because of the regional rollout, New Zealand access begins earlier for many players elsewhere.

The trick should work for Forza Horizon 6 buyers and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members, since the game is coming to Game Pass at launch. It has also gone viral through searches and social media because players want to start racing as soon as possible.

Still, there is a reason many outlets avoid recommending it directly. Microsoft’s support guidance says players should only change their region when they actually move to another country. The company could technically warn, block, or punish accounts for using the wrong region, even if that rarely seems to happen in practice.

There are also small risks around store balance and account behavior. Microsoft says money in a Microsoft Store account does not move with you when changing regions. That may not matter if you are only launching a Game Pass game, but it is still something to know before changing settings.

The safest option is simple: wait for the official unlock time in your own region. For most players, the difference is only a few hours, and Forza Horizon 6 can already be preloaded before launch.

The excitement is understandable, though. Forza Horizon 6 has already received strong reviews, set early access records for the series, and drawn huge interest on Steam and Xbox before the standard release. Some reports also suggest the Premium Edition and Premium Upgrade have sold extremely well during early access.

For now, the New Zealand trick remains one of those unofficial Xbox habits that players keep using whenever a big launch arrives. With Forza Horizon 6, it has become part of the launch conversation again because demand is so high. Whether players use it or wait normally, the wider launch is close enough that everyone will be racing soon.