Rockstar Reacts To GTA 6 Leak: Here's The Fallout

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By Nadeem Sarwar/Sept. 19, 2022 12:39 pm EDT

Over the course of the past weekend, Rockstar's upcoming marquee project in the Grand Theft Auto series was unceremoniously leaked. Over 90 video clips were dumped on GTAForums, all of which have since been pulled following takedown notices issued by parent company Take-Two. Moreover, content from social media platforms such as Twitter, Reddit, and YouTube is also being actively removed. As the social media frenzy continues, Rockstar has finally opened up about the incident.

In a statement posted by Rockstar's official Twitter handle, the studio notes that it "suffered a network intrusion" that allowed unauthorized access to confidential information stored on its systems. The stolen media includes "early development footage for the next Grand Theft Auto," confirming suspicions that all the leaked media was indeed the real deal. 

A Message from Rockstar Games pic.twitter.com/T4Wztu8RW8

— Rockstar Games (@RockstarGames) September 19, 2022

In order to quell concerns that excited fans might have, the studio assured that it remains committed to delivering an experience that will surpass expectations. So far, the leaked videos have spilled the beans on details like a two-character system with a female protagonist, more fleshed-out vehicle mechanics, a setup similar to the iconic Vice City locale, and a reference to the Zuckerberg parody character named Jay Norris that we last saw in GTA 5 as part of the "Friend Request" mission.

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With a leak of this magnitude, it's natural to assume that a delay is on the horizon, as the folks over at Rockstar enter a cooldown phase to assess the situation and adjust their priorities accordingly. But it appears that the studio is looking to deliver the game as per its original schedule. In its official statement, the studio notes that the security breach doesn't have "any long-term effect on the development of our ongoing projects."

The statement further adds that work on GTA 6, which was first officially confirmed in February of 2022, will "continue as planned." However, the company is still playing it coy with a release timeline, and only adds that the game will be released "when it is ready." As for the leak itself, the studio hasn't shared any technical details as to how exactly the leakster going by the username "teapotuberhacker" got into its systems and pulled sensitive data such as in-development footage as well as, allegedly, the source codes of GTA 6.

According to now-pulled details posted on GTAForums, the bad actor made his way inside via the studio's Slack group, but that claim still remains unverified. Industry watchers have so far estimated that GTA 6 will be out in 2025. In its official announcement earlier this year, Rockstar also confirmed that development on the game was "underway."