Rockstar Games and its parent company, Take-Two Interactive, are officially in the process of trying to hunt down the leaker behind a series of Grand Theft Auto 6 gameplay videos. Earlier this week, a first look at gameplay footage from GTA 6 appeared online in advance of the game’s upcoming preview taking place on Netflix. Since that initial footage began circulating on the web, multiple videos have since continued to come about, with the latest gameplay clip appearing this morning. And while Rockstar hasn’t publicly commented on these high-profile leaks just yet, it’s now known that the company is working to track down the person(s) behind this ordeal.
As reported by Kotaku, Take-Two has recently filed a series of subpoenas in federal court to unearth who is behind these GTA 6 leaks. As part of this filing, Take-Two has also requested records from Microsoft and Discord to help it determine where these leaks are originating from. Microsoft is said to have until September 4th to produce records that would aid with Take-Two’s investigation, while multiple Discord servers, including those owned by well-known Grand Theft Auto fans, are in the process of being audited.
“Take-Two, through its counsel of record, has submitted a sworn declaration confirming that the purpose for which the DMCA subpoena is sought is to obtain the identity of an alleged infringer or infringers, and that such information will only be used for the purpose of protecting Take-Two’s rights,” read one of the subpoenas filed by the company.
What Will Happen Next With These GTA 6 Leaks?
From the moment these GTA 6 leaks began hitting the web, it was always expected that Rockstar and Take-Two would treat this situation incredibly seriously. Not only does gameplay becoming public potentially harm Rockstar’s own marketing plans for GTA 6, but a recent video seemingly confirmed that the leaker at the root of this ordeal potentially has access to an actual build of the game. As such, this could lead to major story or gameplay spoilers appearing online in the days or weeks to come, which would greatly damage the build-up to launch for Grand Theft Auto 6.
Historically, situations like this haven’t ended well for leakers, as their identity is more often than not unearthed. Once discovered, the leakers face potential jail time for breaking federal laws associated with digital theft, extortion, and many others. Given how prominent this leak has become tied to GTA 6, it’s expected that Take-Two and Rockstar’s legal teams would come down incredibly hard on the individual going by the name of “Cyberleek” if they were to be found. Whether or not this investigation will result in the leaker continuing to post content tied to GTA 6 online isn’t yet known, but we’ll be sure to keep you updated on this story if there are any major new developments.
As for Grand Theft Auto 6 itself, the game is finally slated to launch on November 19th for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S platforms. In the near term, our first official glimpse at gameplay for GTA 6 will be arriving on Netflix next week on August 27th.