With Death Stranding 2’s release just around the corner, fans across the world are counting down the final hours. But some gamers are already preparing to walk across Kojima’s surreal landscape a little earlier than others. A trick commonly used in the gaming community, often referred to as the New Zealand trick, has gained traction once again. This method takes advantage of global time zone differences, allowing players to potentially gain early access before the official release window in their country.
The New Zealand trick hinges on the fact that New Zealand is among the first countries to reach any new calendar date. That means when a game is scheduled for global release on a specific day, players in New Zealand technically get access earlier due to their time zone. By creating an account tied to the New Zealand region, players from elsewhere in the world can attempt to access the game at the same time as New Zealand players, which could be hours ahead of their own region.
To use the trick, the most common method is by creating a new PlayStation Network account and setting the region to New Zealand. Once the account is ready, the player can then purchase Death Stranding 2 using this new account, provided they have access to a valid payment method that works with New Zealand Dollars. After the game is purchased, it can be downloaded and played as soon as it becomes available in the New Zealand time zone.
However, there are important caveats. Simply changing your PlayStation’s time zone settings will not grant access to the game early if it was purchased on a different regional account. Sony’s servers verify the region from the original account where the purchase was made. So, if you bought the game on your main PSN account and that account is set to a different country, there is no way to unlock the game early using this trick. Additionally, progression and trophies earned on the New Zealand account will not carry over to your main account.
The trick is popular in the PC gaming world too, where platforms like Steam and Epic Games are more lenient when it comes to changing regional settings. On consoles, the process is more involved and less seamless. That said, for the most eager fans, even a few hours of early access to Death Stranding 2 might feel worth the effort.
The New Zealand trick is not illegal, but it is not officially endorsed either. It falls into a grey area of regional loopholes and convenience workarounds that some gamers use for early access. For most players, it may be simpler to wait for the standard global release or take advantage of the 48 hour early access included with the Digital Deluxe Edition of the game.
As the launch nears, anticipation is building for Kojima’s follow up to one of the most divisive and visionary titles in recent memory. Whether you wait patiently or try your luck with a timezone exploit, the journey through Death Stranding 2 is bound to be an experience worth every minute.
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