Rockstar Games calls week of GTA 6 leaks 'heartbreaking' in first statement

With the release less than 12 weeks away, Tom's Hardware cautioned that malware disguised as GTA VI leaks is circulating online. The outlet advised gamers to wait for the official release rather than download pirated or unreleased versions. In a statement posted Wednesday morning on social media, Rockstar said the leaks were "heartbreaking for our team" and acknowledged that the game's intended experience may now be affected by spoilers.

The statement, published just one day before the game's scheduled "Extended Look" event, addressed the sustained disclosure of clips from an apparently playable build. "It would be an understatement to say that having videos of Grand Theft Auto VI gameplay leak in this way has been heartbreaking for our team, and this is obviously not how we intended for you to see the game after all this time," the studio wrote, according to The Verge. Tom's Hardware noted that the statement says nothing about the alleged leaker's protest over pre-selling digital copies of GTA VI or other demands.

A person or organization calling itself "CyberLeek" has claimed responsibility for the leaks, which have been used in part to promote a cryptocurrency, according to The Verge. Publisher Take-Two Interactive has taken legal steps to identify the source. The Verge reported that Take-Two has requested to subpoena Microsoft and Discord over the copyright-infringing content.

Tom's Hardware added that Take-Two issued a subpoena to Microsoft to obtain Windows device IDs of members of three Discord servers. A PC version has not been announced, according to Tom's Hardware. The Verge reported that not long after Rockstar posted, another leaked video appeared showing the character Jason carjacking a vehicle and evading police, with Lucia appearing briefly in a cutscene.

The show will stream exclusively on Netflix at 3PM ET, six hours before it appears on YouTube, according to The Verge. The studio said it is "very excited for everyone to see the extended look tomorrow" and acknowledged the wait: "It has taken longer than we wanted to get it ready, but as with everything we do, we know we need to exceed your expectations." In the statement, Rockstar apologized for the prolonged development timeline.

"We are very sorry that everything has taken as long as it has — from getting the game finished (nearly there!) to sharing more details and official gameplay, and providing the community with everything you want to know," the studio said. "We want to thank everyone in the community who has reached out with messages of support this past week - your words have meant more to this team than you can imagine," the statement read. A week of unauthorized Grand Theft Auto VI gameplay footage has forced Rockstar Games into its first public response, and the studio did not hide t...