Are you excited about diving into the world of Modern Warfare 3 before its official release date? Well, the wait is almost over, but for those who can’t wait any longer, there’s a trick that might just give you early access to the game. Let’s explore how you can change your Activision account location to New Zealand and enjoy Modern Warfare 3 ahead of schedule.

Modern Warfare 3 is set to roll out globally on November 10, with release times varying depending on your time zone. However, console players have a unique advantage when it comes to accessing the game early. While PC and PlayStation players might feel left out, there are ways for everyone to jump into Modern Warfare 3 right now.
The New Zealand trick has been circulating as a method to get early access to the game. Does it work for Modern Warfare 3’s multiplayer? According to the official Call of
Duty Twitter account, the Xbox New Zealand trick indeed works for both multiplayer and zombies. The full game on console has a rolling launch window between 3 AM PT to 10 PM PT on November 9th. This means the release time unlocks at 12 AM midnight local time for each region on the console. For instance, 12 AM NZDT on November 10th translates to 3 AM PT on November 9th.
To make the New Zealand trick effective, you’ll need to preload the multiplayer and zombies on your console. Preloading requires you to have pre-ordered the cross-gen edition at a minimum. Alternatively, you can opt for the Vault edition, which costs £99.99/$99.99 on the PSN store.
Now, let’s delve into how you can play Modern Warfare 3 early using the New Zealand release time trick on Xbox. If you’ve pre-ordered and preloaded, the trick will work at 3 AM PT/ 6 AM ET/ 11 AM GMT on November 9th. Follow these steps on your Xbox console:
- Start your Xbox
- Head to Settings
- Click System
- Choose Language and Location
- Change location to New Zealand
- Restart your Xbox
For PlayStation players, in addition to the above steps, you need to change your Call of Duty profile to New Zealand. Typically, the New Zealand trick on PlayStation involves creating an NZ account and buying the game using NZ PSN gift cards. However, according to reports, you can play Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer on PS5 by changing your Call of Duty profile region on the CoD website to New Zealand. Access your Call of Duty profile, select Basic Info, Address, and then enter a random New Zealand address. Alternatively, PS5 players can join the session of a friend who has exploited the New Zealand release time trick.
Now, let’s address the PC players. While there’s usually no direct way for PC players to benefit from these tricks, there is a workaround if you have a friend on Xbox or PlayStation who has completed the above steps and can access the game early. Simply get them to invite you to join their game, and you’ll be able to play together. If you want to host sessions or play independently, join the session, enter the Firing Range, and have your friend kick you from the session. You may need to repeat these steps if you close down the game and reload it later.
Remember, the Xbox New Zealand trick works for both multiplayer and zombies. The full game on console has a rolling launch window between 3 AM PT to 10 PM PT on November 9th, unlocking at 12 AM midnight local time for each region on the console. To make the New Zealand trick effective, preload multiplayer and zombies on your console by pre-ordering the cross-gen edition or opting for the Vault edition.