GTA 6: Rockstar Takes Action Following Massive Leaks

GTA 6 is quickly becoming one of the most-anticipated projects in entertainment history as Grand Theft Auto V is about to turn 10 years old.

Rockstar has publicly acknowledged that a GTA 6 is in production, and reports have suggested the title will "include a playable female protagonist" and take place in Vice City (a fictionalized Miami). But nothing from the title has been shown and an official announcement for its release has yet to even happen. 

That's why it is shocking that early footage of the title has made its way online, resulting in what some are calling the biggest video game leak ever. As screenshots and short videos start popping up all over the internet, Rockstar has gone into panic mode, taking action against those responsible for the leaks.

Rockstar Reacts to GTA 6 Leaks

Grand Theft Auto VI developer Rockstar Games have started picking up the pieces after recent gameplay leaks of the upcoming title have made their way online. 

The studio has disabled comments on all their social media channels in an effort to stop the spread of the leak:

Moreso, Rockstar parent company Take-Two Interactive has started to issue takedown requests on YouTube.

While some are still questioning the authenticity of the footage, Bloomberg's Jason Schreier has checked with his sources and confirmed that the "massive Grand Theft Auto VI leak is indeed real" and comes from an "early and unfinished" version of the game. 

With development supposedly starting on the title back in 2014, some are speculating online that the gameplay is from a 2019 build of the project.

Update: Rockstar Games has taken to social media to directly address the recent leaks in an official statement, saying that the breach of data was due to "a network intrusion:"

"We recently suffered a network intrusion in which an unauthorized third party illegally accessed and downloaded confidential information from our systems, including early development footage for the next Grand Theft Auto. At this time, we do not anticipate any disruption to our live game services nor any long-term effect on the development of our ongoing projects."

The studio stated that the leak would not affect development of Grand Theft Auto 6, mentioning that it "will continue as planned" and "will properly introduce you to this next game when it is ready:"

"We are extremely disappointed to have any details of our next game shared with you all in this way. Our work on the next Grand Theft Auto game will continue as planned and we remain as committed as ever to delivering an experience to you, our players, that truly exceeds your expectations. We will update everyone again soon and, of course, will properly introduce you to this next game when it is ready. We want to thank everyone for their ongoing support through this situation."

What's Next for GTA 6?

Now that GTA 6 is out there (at least more than it was 24 hours ago), it will be fascinating to see what Rockstar Games' next move is. Up to this point, the Grand Theft Auto developer has remained fairly tight-lipped about the upcoming sequel, but could all of this change that? 

It has been assumed for quite some time that the GTA studio would officially reveal GTA 6 sometime soon, as the title is seemingly very deep into development. And some would think that a leak as massive as this could shake up those plans. 

Sure, there is the possibility that this could shake up plans for Rockstar and their next GTA title, but that feels so anti-Rockstar. Rockstar Games is one of the only studios in the gaming world that plays by its own rules. The developer rarely shows up at major events, announcing their titles when they are ready to. 

While for some fans it has felt like GTA 6 would never officially be announced, it has seemed like an announcement was closer than ever, even before this leak. 

So for now, Rockstar will do their best to clean up this GTA leak mess, but will likely stick to their guns when it comes to an official reveal plan for the incoming Grand Theft Auto VI.