It seems the availability timer in GOG Galaxy places the Battletech release five hours later than Steam, do we have any official word why? Is the timer even correct, or does it just need a little updating from HBS?

If you pre-ordered the game, when you go to your GoG library on the website, not on GoG Galaxy, and click on the game, you can see a timer. Currently it says 6 days 12 horus till release.

Steam just says approximitly 6 days, but they always drop off the minutes and hours, so for example it will say ~6 days from 6 days 23 hours 59 minutes till and then switch to ~5 days when there is 5 days 23 hours 59 minutes till release.

With that being said, Steam typically has games releasing at 10am PST on release day, unless Developer/publisher does something different, so I am guessing that is where the OP is thinking that it is releasing on Steam 5 hours before GoG will.

HBS announced release time as 9am PDT, which the Steam timer syncs up with if you watch it for when it ticks over. Your 6days 12hours time (judging by the timestamp on your post) puts GOG at a 2pm PDT release. I am not confused.

Timer now matches Steam, all is well with the release. ^_^

Just saw a post on the Paradox and steam forums that they will get to download the game on the weekend if you were a backer and on monday for steam pre orders. Wonder if we will get a monday download also for those of us that pre ordered

Clarifying two places, then, since I've seen it a couple - keys are going to be sent out over the weekend, but that will just add the title to your account as if you preordered. It won't actually change when you can download anything.

I wonder if they are going to do a pre-load on GoG?

No they don't.