Last weekend’s massive GTA 6 leak is real, it’s been confirmed. Rockstar Games‘ parent company Take-Two Interactive has already begun going after websites and forums hosting the leaked content with legal notices, including two of the largest GTA community sites GTAForums and the GTA 6 subreddit, both of which have complied with the orders. The hack has become quite a headache for Rockstar and Take-Two as the hacker allegedly stole source codes for both GTA 5 and 6, the former of which was apparently going for hundreds and thousands of dollars.
GTA 6 leak sparks widespread condemnation
Not that there was much doubt, but I’ve confirmed with Rockstar sources that this weekend’s massive Grand Theft Auto VI leak is indeed real. The footage is early and unfinished, of course. This is one of the biggest leaks in video game history and a nightmare for Rockstar Games
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) September 18, 2024
According to Bloomberg journalist and insider Jason Schreier, the leak will not only disrupt work (possibly leading to a development delay), it’ll probably also result in Rockstar Games revising its work-from-home policies. It’s unclear how the hacker managed to break into the studio’s systems but there seems to be a lot of chatter surrounding work-from-home flexibility and how this hack will affect work.
The impact on development aside, the hacker themselves better pray that they’re not identified by Take-Two, a particularly litigious company that has the funds and the resources to find them and sue the living daylights out of them. It appears that the hacker has already scrubbed their Telegram account as their location might have been compromised.
The leak sparked widespread condemnation from the games industry, with folks like Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann and Xbox executive Sarah Bond sending their thoughts to Rockstar devs, who will inevitably be impacted by what transpired.