On Sunday, an early in-game video from Rockstar’s highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI was allegedly leaked online. The leaked material consists of 90 videos in a 3GB package posted on the GTA forums.
It is unclear how the footage was obtained; nonetheless, the leak was released on the GTA Platforms by “teapotuberhacker.” The user also claims to be the culprit of a recent network hack that attacked Uber. Additionally, the hacker has allegedly threatened to reveal other material, such as source codes, assets, and personnel information.
The videos include robbery, gunplay, open-world driving, and full-voice acting conversations. The clip appears to match Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier’s recent report that the game will be set in a fictional Miami — maybe the Vice City of GTA mythology — and would include a playable female character. The game is plainly under development, with debug code parts visible on-screen, yet it contains many features that function.
There was no debate about the authenticity of the videos from the start – they were of a level and detail that would be nearly impossible to fake. Schreier later tweeted that Rockstar insiders had confirmed the leak of “early and unfinished” footage was real and that the situation was a “nightmare” for Rockstar.
The videos may be seen on YouTube, Reddit, and Twitter. They may be downloaded from the URLs in the original post on GTA Forums. Still, Rockstar’s parent company Take-Two Interactive has begun to file copyright claims against videos on YouTube and social media networks to have them removed from view. The videos have already been extensively spread, and Take Two’s lawyers may be fighting a hopeless battle to remove them off the internet.
There are around 50 minutes of footage in all. Many of the clips are only a few seconds long. One of the longer clips, around three minutes long, depicts the female player character robbing a diner, threatening workers and customers, and then pulling a pistol on them. She and her male partner then engage in a gunfight with police before leaping into a police patrol car and driving away. The graphics approach is fairly realistic while remaining true to the GTA style.
Some videos contain the words Vice City. At one point, the female character walks inside a crowded strip club. Additional videos depict firing and conversation systems.
The leaker stated that it was “possible” that they would share GTA 5 and GTA 6 source code, as well as a test build of GTA 6. On the forums, they answered questions about the source code and appeared to divulge legally sensitive material about a GTA Online cheat mod court case.
Even if the leaker does not go on to reveal source code or a playable build, this is a massively devastating leak for Rockstar on a scale hardly, if ever, seen. Rockstar just announced GTA 6 was in “active production” early this year.
According to Bloomberg, production on the game began in 2014, following the publication of GTA 5, but progress was slow, and GTA 6 was unlikely to be released until 2024. Changes in Rockstar’s company culture are believed to have reduced developer overtime and modified the game’s tone, with comedy that is less likely to punch down on underrepresented groups.