Rise of the Ronin Yokohama Combat
In-game Screenshot

Rise of the Ronin: Does the New Zealand Trick Work?

Rise of the Ronin is almost here, and if you can’t wait any longer to play it, then you may want to consider using the New Zealand trick.

If you’re desperate to play a video game early, you can sometimes use the New Zealand trick. This entails switching your platform’s region to New Zealand, as it will get early access to a game if it has a local release time. With Japanese media currently being at the forefront of everyone’s minds, many people will want to play Rise of the Ronin as soon as possible. Fortunately, if you know how to use the trick, you can.

Does the New Zealand Trick Work For Rise of the Ronin?

Yes, the New Zealand trick will work for Rise of the Ronin, as it has a midnight local release time. This means it will be released in New Zealand 13 hours before the UK and 18 hours before the US. If you choose to use this trick, you can be playing Rise of the Ronin way before it’s meant to be released in your region.

To use the New Zealand trick, you’ll need to switch your platform’s region. On Xbox, this is done by going to the Language and Location menu in the System settings. From there, just select New Zealand from the list of options and boot up the game. Unfortunately, PlayStation is a little more difficult. You’ll need to switch your account’s region to New Zealand and then purchase Rise of the Ronin through the New Zealand PlayStation store.

Rise of the Ronin Yokohama Geisha
In-game Screenshot

If you are unsure about if you want to purchase the game, you can check out our coverage of our 2-hour preview to know what you can expect when you first start the game. That’s everything you need to know about playing Rise of the Ronin early using the New Zealand trick. For more guides just like this one, head on over to our Guide Hub.