Don’t want to wait for Assassin’s Creed Shadows to officially launch? A simple trick lets you start playing right now on Xbox by changing your console’s region to New Zealand.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is one of the most anticipated open-world games of the year, taking players to feudal Japan with two playable protagonists: the samurai Yasuke and the ninja Naoe. While Ubisoft’s latest title has stirred controversy over historical accuracy—especially regarding Yasuke’s role—it has received solid critical acclaim, holding an 8.2 rating on Metacritic.

Play Early with an Xbox Region Change

Xbox uses region settings to determine when a game becomes available. Since it’s already tomorrow in New Zealand, switching your console’s region to this country will allow you to play Assassin’s Creed Shadows right now.

Here’s how to change your Xbox region to New Zealand:

1. Open the Xbox Settings menu from the home screen.
2. Go to System and then select Language & location.
3. Under Location, choose New Zealand.
4. Restart your console (Xbox will prompt you to do so).

Once your console reboots, it will recognize you as being in New Zealand, granting you access to the game immediately. This method may also work similarly on PC with a VPN or on PS5, but we have not tested these.

Ubisoft’s Competition: Shadows vs. the Market

The launch of Assassin’s Creed Shadows hasn’t been without controversy. Ubisoft has faced backlash over historical inaccuracies, but despite this, both critics and players have responded positively. The game currently holds a strong Metacritic score, and early impressions are mostly favorable.

While Rise of the Ronin flopped on PC and poses no real threat to Ubisoft, the upcoming Ghost of Yotei is a different story. This new title could shake up the Japanese-themed action genre and become a true competitor to Assassin’s Creed Shadows.