How to play EA FC 24 early with the New Zealand trick

How to play EA FC 24 early with the New Zealand trick

Find out how to play EA FC 24 early with the New Zealand trick here, as it can give you the head start you need in game modes like Ultimate Team and Clubs.

21st Sep 2023 10:36

Image via EA Sports

Using the New Zealand trick for EA FC 24 will let you play the game early, and we've got everything you need to do to take advantage of the game's staggered launch times.

While you can of course take advantage of the early access period by picking up the Ultimate Edition of EA FC 24, there is a way that you can jump into the game even earlier - albeit by just a few hours. You will need to do a bit of virtual travelling, but we've thankfully got all of the steps you'll need to take below to avoid any confusion.

So, continue reading to find out how to play EA FC 24 early, as we've got everything you'll need to pull off the New Zealand trick right here.

How to use the New Zealand trick for EA FC 24

Follow the step-by-step walkthrough below to find out how to use the New Zealand trick in EA FC 24 and play the game early:

  • Turn on your Xbox console and open the Settings menu
  • Select the 'System' option, then 'Language & Location'
  • Set your console location to New Zealand within this menu
  • Restart your console in order to activate the change

From this point onwards, your console will now think that you are in the New Zealand time zone, and thus can access staggered releases earlier due to the region being the earliest to reach midnight.

While this might only be a few extra hours for some time zones, it can make all of the difference  - especially when you can see other players already jumping in and building their Ultimate Team.

You will need to make sure to switch your console region back to your native location before the official launch there though, as there is a chance that your game gets region locked - which is obviously complicated for online play.

EA FC 24 New Zealand trick start time

You will be able to use the New Zealand trick in EA FC 24 at 1pm BST on September 21, 2023, but check out the table below to see the start time in lots of other time zones:

Time Zone EA FC 24 New Zealand Trick Start Time
PDT 05:00 (September 21)
EDT 08:00 (September 21)
UTC 12:00 (September 21)
BST 13:00 (September 21)
CEST 14:00 (September 21)
IST 17:30 (September 21)
CST 20:00 (September 21)
JST 21:00 (September 21)
AEST 22:00 (September 21)

Does the EA FC 24 New Zealand trick work on PlayStation & PC?

Unfortunately, the New Zealand trick for EA FC 24 currently only works on Xbox, so PlayStation and PC users will have to wait for the release date in their actual time zone.

The early access launch time for PC is set as 5am BST on September 22 - which is a lot later than previous years where you were able to jump on at around the same time as the New Zealand players.

PlayStation users are a little bit luckier with a midnight local time launch, but at least you will be able to still trade away on the web app in the meantime to build your coin balance further.

Can you buy FC Points when using the EA FC 24 New Zealand trick?

Unfortunately, you will need to have a card registered to a New Zealand postcode in order to purchase FC Points in EA FC 24 when using the New Zealand trick.

This is due to the fact that you will be buying the points with New Zealand Dollars, and thus any card or even PayPal purchases will need to be tied to the region to work.

You will need to wait until the game is available in your own region to purchase FC Points in the game, but you can also find out if you can buy FC Points on the EA FC 24 web app here too.

So, that wraps up everything you need to activate the New Zealand trick in EA FC 24, letting you play the game a couple of hours early.

Before you jump in though, make sure to check out our EA FC homepage for all of the latest guides, including how to use the new Controlled Sprint and Precision Pass mechanics.

Harry Boulton

About The Author

Harry Boulton

Harry is a Guides Writer at GGRecon, having completed a Masters of Research degree in Film Studies. Previously a freelance writer for PCGamesN, The Loadout, and Red Bull Gaming, he loves playing a wide variety of games from the Souls series to JRPGs, Counter-Strike, and EA FC. When not playing or writing about games and hardware, you're likely to find him watching football or listening to Madonna and Kate Bush.

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