Here's when Armored Core 6 unlocks in your time zone

Armored Core 6
(Image credit: FromSoftware)

Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon brings back FromSoftware's mech series after a 10 year wait, and it's every bit the revival Armored Core deserved. After such a long wait, it'd be a shame to waste time not playing Armored Core 6 when that time could be spent tinkering with mechs and jumping into frenetic missions as soon as the game goes live. AC6 doesn't have a single global release time across platforms, though, so when exactly you'll be able to play it depends on whether you're on PC or console.

Here's Armored Core 6's release time, broken down by time zone and platform.

When does Armored Core 6 unlock?

On PC, Armored Core 6 unlocks on Thursday, August 24 at 3 pm Pacific time, which is 11 pm BST. Armored Core 6 has a simultaneous global launch on PC, so here's how that unlock time breaks down by timezone: 

  • PT: 3 pm, August 24
  • ET: 6 pm, August 24
  • BST: 11 pm, August 24
  • CEST: 12 am, August 25
  • JST: 7 am, August 25
  • AEST: 8 am, August 25

If your time zone isn't listed above, no sweat. Just follow this link and add your city to see exactly when Armored Core 6 releases on PC.

Armored Core 6's console release time is different than its PC release time. On consoles, Armored Core 6 unlocks at midnight local time on August 25 per region, which can be a bit confusing. In Japan, which has only one time zone, it's easy: the game unlocks at midnight as soon as the clock ticks over to August 25. In the United States though, this means Armored Core 6 unlocks six hours later on consoles than it does on PC, at midnight Eastern (9 pm Pacific).

You can refer to this chart from Bandai Namco if you're unsure what that console unlock time means for your time zone.

(Image credit: Bandai Namco)

If you're planning to buy Armored Core 6, pre-ordering on Steam before the game releases will net you a couple goodies, including a special mech skin and early access to a few parts that you'll eventually unlock in the campaign.

Armored Core 6 also has a deluxe edition that includes a digital art book and a copy of the soundtrack. If you want to splurge on that version of the game, it'll cost $69.99 / £58.99.

Does Armored Core 6 have a preload on PC?

Sure does. Preloads for Armored Core 6 are now live on Steam. And considering AC6 is some 60GB, you may want the head start.

Wes Fenlon
Senior Editor

Wes has been covering games and hardware for more than 10 years, first at tech sites like The Wirecutter and Tested before joining the PC Gamer team in 2014. Wes plays a little bit of everything, but he'll always jump at the chance to cover emulation and Japanese games.

When he's not obsessively optimizing and re-optimizing a tangle of conveyor belts in Satisfactory (it's really becoming a problem), he's probably playing a 20-year-old Final Fantasy or some opaque ASCII roguelike. With a focus on writing and editing features, he seeks out personal stories and in-depth histories from the corners of PC gaming and its niche communities. 50% pizza by volume (deep dish, to be specific).