After a massive leak showcased footage from an in-development build of Grand Theft Auto VI, Rockstar Games has addressed the situation.
Over the weekend, footage and further details on the long-awaited sixth mainline GTA surfaced online. Videos of a clearly unfinished version of the game, possibly an internal alpha build, circulated on social media and YouTube.
In a statement, Rockstar expressed disappointment in the leak and clarified that a “network intrusion” led to the unauthorized release of the videos.
“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,” reads the statement. “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 added that work on the next Grand Theft Auto will continue as planned, and the leak will not disrupt the development of the project. “We will update everyone again soon and, of course, will properly introduce you to this next game when it is ready,” the company continued. “We want to thank everyone for their ongoing support through this situation.”
After the footage surfaced, Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier verified that the leak was genuine and not a fan-made project. “The footage is early and unfinished,” he wrote. “This is one of the biggest leaks in video game history and a nightmare for Rockstar Games. … The repercussions of this leak might not be clear for quite a while.”
Notably, the leak appeared to confirm a few details that slipped about the project earlier this year. For one, the footage showcased dual protagonists, one of whom is a Latina woman. It’s also evident that the game at least partially takes place in a fictional version of Miami, much like the beloved Vice City did during the PlayStation 2 era.
Rockstar has yet to formally announce Grand Theft Auto VI, so a release date is anyone’s guess at this point. The earlier leak indicated that development first started back in 2014, while Rockstar reportedly hopes to release the new entry during the 2024 fiscal year.
