Here's when Rainbow Six Extraction unlocks in your timezone

Rainbow Six Extraction operators hold guns at the ready in a dark containment zone.
(Image credit: Ubisoft)

The Rainbow Six Extraction unlock times are nearly upon us, unleashing the R6 operators into containment zones across the United States. We've gone hands on with Extraction and given it a 73% in our Rainbow Six Extraction review, where Morgan calls it "a fun and unremarkable co-op shooter with some very good ooze." If you've already committed to playing Extraction, here's what you need to know about when pre-loading and unlock times are happening this week.

Rainbow Six Extraction pre-loading for PC players has already begun on the Ubisoft Connect app and the Epic Games Store, so you can get that 85GB download started right now if you want. Extraction will also be available on January 20th on PC Game Pass, but isn't available for pre-load.

Here's how the Rainbow Six Extraction unlock times break down by time zone:

Rainbow Six Extraction unlock times

Rainbow Six Extraction is not having a simultaneous global launch.

As Ubisoft announces in its tweet below, the Rainbow Six Extraction release time is January 20 at 12am locally in the Americas, with midnight launches in other regions consolidated to the CET and AEDT timezones. Here's how the unlock times break down in different cities:

  • New York: January 20, 12am ET
  • Los Angeles: January 20, 12am PT
  • London: January 19, 11pm GMT
  • Melbourne: January 20, 12am AEDT

Some good news if you're not on a top-of-the-line PC: The Rainbow Six Extraction system requirements aren't at all demanding. Your older GPU and modest RAM machines should be able to handle what Extraction is dishing out.

Extraction is also offering a buddy pass system, where each copy of the game comes with two game tokens that give your friend access to the game for 14 days. Of note is that Ubisoft just announced that the buddy pass system won't be available immediately at launch "to ensure a smooth rollout for all players." Ubisoft says that removing barriers to playing with friends is important and that it is "dedicated to launching your two friend invites very soon," though it doesn't specify just how shortly after launch that will take place.

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Lauren Morton
Associate Editor

Lauren has been writing for PC Gamer since she went hunting for the cryptid Dark Souls fashion police in 2017. She accepted her role as Associate Editor in 2021, now serving as self-appointed chief cozy games and farmlife sim enjoyer. Her career originally began in game development and she remains fascinated by how games tick in the modding and speedrunning scenes. She likes long fantasy books, longer RPGs, can't stop playing co-op survival crafting games, and has spent a number of hours she refuses to count building houses in The Sims games for over 20 years.