Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is one of the most anticipated releases of the year, and players are looking for ways to jump into the game early. If you’re a Game Pass subscriber, there’s a trick that lets you access the game 12 hours ahead of its official release, and it requires you to change your region.

While this is a well-known method, known as the ‘NZ trick’, for Xbox and PC players using Game Pass, it’s important to note that it won’t work for users trying to play the game directly through Steam or Battle.net.

How to play Black Ops 6 early on PC

If you’re a Game Pass user and want to dive into Black Ops 6 before its global release, what you have to do is change your PC and Activision account region to New Zealand. NZ is ahead of most regions by several hours, meaning access to games is often unlocked earlier than the rest of the world. By setting your region to New Zealand, you’ll unlock the game according to their local time zone, which is about 12 hours ahead of regions like the US.

The reason Game Pass users can only use this trick is that the service relies on your system’s local time and region settings. This allows the game to unlock as soon as it’s available in the selected region, meaning you can enjoy Black Ops 6 before anyone else in your time zone.

How to change your region in Windows

1. Open Settings: Click on the Start Menu and go to “Settings.”
2. Navigate to Time & Language: From the settings menu, find “Time & Language.”
3. Select Region: Click on “Region” and find the drop-down menu under “Country or Region.”
4. Choose New Zealand: From the list, select New Zealand as your region.
5. Restart Your PC: After changing the region, restart your PC to apply the changes.
6. Play Black Ops 6: Once your PC restarts, launch the game, and you’ll be able to play it according to New Zealand’s release time, which is 12 PM on Thursday, October 24.

How to change region on your Activision account

• Sign in to your Activision account here
• Click ‘profile’ in the top right of the page
• Go to the ‘Basic Info’ tab
• Edit the address, selecting New Zealand from the dropdown

While the trick doesn’t work for Steam or Battle.net, it’s an easy and effective method for anyone using Game Pass on PC. Just remember to set your region back to your home country after it officially unlocks in your region to avoid any issues with other apps or services.

About the Author

Abdul Haddi

Abdul is a tech writer and Editor for PC Guide, specializing in all things tech, gaming, and hardware.