Rockstar Comes Down Hard On GTA 6 Leakers
In 20 years' time, when we look back at 2022, it will undoubtedly be remembered as the year that Elden Ring blew our minds, Hogwarts Legacy was caught in the drama of J.K. Rowling, and Rockstar Games was torn apart by THOSE massive GTA 6 leaks.
It's been a whopping nine years (and counting) since we last had a new GTA game, and while we've always known GTA 6 was tinkering away in the workshop, we never expected to learn about the next chapter in such a way. Over the weekend, a slew of GTA 6 leaks confirmed long-held rumours like a female protagonist and a return to the fan-favourite Vice City.
How Is Rockstar Clamping Down On GTA Leaks?
While Rockstar has done its best to limit damage, over 90 screenshots and videos are out there on the internet (if you know where to look). The Bully, Red Dead Redemption, and GTA developer has never looked kindly on leaks or even mods, so it's no surprise that the legal might of publisher Take-Two Interactive could soon be knocking at your virtual door.
According to noted insider Tom Henderson, the likes of GTAForums have been issued with takedown requests from Take-Two. The original leaker's account currently has no live posts, and while a number of accounts have popped up pretending to be them on Twitter, they seem to be impersonators looking for clout.
Both GTAForums and the GTA 6 subreddit posted messages saying, "We have been contacted by Take-Two Interactive to take down copyrighted material from GTAForums." GTAForums then added, "As usual with previous games, we will be complying and this topic will be re-opened in due course. Thanks for understanding." At the time of writing, the original post is there, however, the footage and screenshots have been removed and the page has been locked.
The Industry Responds To GTA 6 Leak
Fans might be over the moon that a tonne of GTA 6 has been leaked ahead of time, but as usual, there are those who've been slamming the title. It's important to remember this is a pre-alpha build that it's claimed could be from 2020. Devs and experts alike have rallied around Rockstar, with Xbox's Sarah Bond offering her support amidst the scandal. Others including Sony Santa Monica's Alanah Pearce and Naughty Dog's Neil Druckmann have also flown the flag for Team Rockstar.
Although we were originally unsure whether the leaks were legit, we always suspected they were. Breaking from its usually cagey nature, Rockstar directly addressed the "disappointing" leaks but promised they wouldn't affect the game's release schedule. The problem is, we still don't have a concrete GTA 6 release date and we're left in the dark. Oh well, roll on the next leak to whet our appetites.