No—not now. Resident Evil Requiem launched on February 27, 2026, so changing a console’s region no longer gives you an early-access window. At launch, the so-called New Zealand trick was a timing workaround: on some consoles, setting the region to New Zealand could make a game available at New Zealand midnight, earlier by the clock than in regions farther west. It did not unlock the game before its New Zealand release.
What the New Zealand trick meant for Requiem
Capcom announced Resident Evil Requiem for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, then added Nintendo Switch 2 for launch. The release date was February 27, 2026. Capcom described it as the ninth main installment in the series. Capcom’s June 2025 announcement and September 2025 announcement confirm the date and platforms. The official PlayStation New Zealand page and Xbox New Zealand store display February 26, reflecting the date shown on those regional storefronts; they do not provide a historical unlock hour.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Resident Evil Requiem Amazon Exclusive Edition - PlayStation 5 | $49.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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JUEGO Sony PS5 Resident Evil Village Gold Edition | $28.70 | Buy on Amazon |
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Capcom Resident Evil 4 Gold Edition PlayStation 5 Game | $46.44 | Buy on Amazon |
The trick mattered only around release. It relied on a game unlocking according to local midnight in some regions, so players in a location farther west could potentially access it earlier in their local day by switching to New Zealand. It did not bypass the game’s New Zealand release time, and it was not a permanent early-access feature.
How launch access differed by platform
These were reported launch-window methods, not a current route to early access. The exact times and steps below come from contemporaneous secondary reporting rather than an official platform guarantee.
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| Platform | Reported launch mechanism | What players had to change |
|---|---|---|
| Xbox Series X|S | Midnight local time; the New Zealand console unlock was reported for midnight NZDT on February 27, 2026. | Set the console location to New Zealand and restart it. |
| PS5 | Regional storefront availability; the cited guide described buying through the New Zealand PlayStation Store. | Create a PlayStation account set to New Zealand and purchase the game through that account’s regional store. |
| PC | A global schedule was reported, rather than a midnight-local console rollout. The reported New Zealand time was 6 p.m. NZDT on February 27, 2026; the report also listed 9 p.m. PST on February 26 / midnight EST on February 27. | No reported benefit from changing the computer’s location or displayed time zone. |
Xbox Series X|S
VICE’s launch-day guide described the Xbox method as buying and preloading the game, then opening Settings > System > Language & Location, setting the location to New Zealand, and restarting the console. The guide said the game would become available when the console treated it as New Zealand midnight. This is historical reporting, not an official Xbox guarantee or confirmation of platform policy. Read VICE’s launch-day guide.
PS5
The same guide described a different process: create a PlayStation account with New Zealand as its region, buy Requiem from the New Zealand PlayStation Store, then download and play it. This was not simply a location switch on an existing account. Regional purchasing, payment, and licensing requirements can depend on PlayStation’s current rules, so verify them directly with PlayStation before making a regional purchase.
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PC
Windows Central reported a global PC launch schedule, with an unlock at 6 p.m. NZDT on February 27, 2026, corresponding to 9 p.m. PST on February 26 and midnight EST on February 27. Under that reported schedule, changing the PC’s displayed time zone would not move the unlock. The times are historical and come from secondary coverage, not a readable schedule on the official Capcom or Steam pages reviewed. See Windows Central’s reported launch times.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Does the New Zealand trick work for Requiem now?
No. The game has already launched, so there is no upcoming regional unlock to reach early by changing your location. The method did not grant access to unreleased content; it only aimed to reach the same launch availability earlier by the clock in certain regions.
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The historical guides also do not establish that region manipulation was guaranteed or endorsed by Xbox or PlayStation. Treat their steps as descriptions of what was reported at launch, not assurances about platform policy or current account requirements.
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