GTA 6 leak: Rockstar Games responds to leaked gameplay footage

Grand Theft Auto developer, Rockstar Games, has confirmed a “network intrusion” was behind this past weekend’s GTA 6 leaks, which saw over 90 videos of the unreleased project surface online. The studio responded to the leak on Monday, confirming the circulating footage comes from “early development” of the next mainline Grand Theft Auto entry.

Rockstar Games had previously confirmed work on its GTA title, widely dubbed GTA 6, was underway back in February. The notoriously tight-lipped developer had only briefly confirmed its existence, set to mark its first mainline release since 2013’s Grand Theft Auto V.

The alleged GTA 6 gameplay footage hit the internet on Sunday, with one GTA Forums user posting over 90 videos from early development builds. The source later stated the footage was obtained through a hack, attempting to sell stolen code and assets for "no less than five figures.” The same user has also claimed access to GTA 5 and GTA 6 source code, which could spell further trouble for the developer.

Rockstar Games has issued its first response to the leak on Twitter, stating it suffered a “network intrusion,” where an “unauthorized third party illegally accessed and downloaded confidential information” from its internal systems.

Rockstar Games is still to confirm a release date for GTA 6, though has stated it doesn't expect the leak to derail current projects. "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 developer said.

"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."

Rockstar Games parent, Take-Two Interactive, has attempted to remove the leaked material, issuing DMCA takedowns to some footage shared online. The internet never forgets, yet the publisher acted quick to mitigate damage for what's expected to be its biggest release in years. Grand Theft Auto V has racked up over 170 million sales to date, with regular updates supporting its golden goose for almost a decade.

Take-Two Interactive has high hopes for GTA 6, with plans to “set creative benchmarks for the series, our industry, and for all entertainment,” according to CEO Strauss Zelnick.