Grand Theft Auto VI, or GTA VI, is scheduled to launch later this year, after roughly a decade of development and multiple delays. However, ahead of its official release, clips showcasing the game began circulating online, revealing elements like gameplay, cutscenes, and maps. Now, developer Rockstar Games has issued a statement addressing these leaks.
In this statement, which was posted on X, the company stated that the leaks had been “heartbreaking” for the team and that they were clearly not how it intended for players to see the game “after all this time”. The publisher went on to apologise once again for the long wait, not just for the game itself, but also its details.
Now, those paying close attention to the game’s journey would notice that to date, there have only been two trailers, with the latest one posted over a year ago. The company plans to change that with the release of an “extended look” later this week, which will likely include a new trailer and some gameplay footage. While the leaks may have put a bit of a damper on that, the show must go on.
Rockstar Games expressed its excitement for everyone to see the extended look, although it acknowledged that the spoilers may influence the intended experience. The company also noted that it needs to exceed expectations, and asserted that it is “determined to deliver at the level you expect and deserve”. The X post went on to thank the community for its support.
How Did We Get Here?
The game’s development has been pretty tumultuous, to say the least. Fairly early on, the game suffered a pretty substantial leak, which saw the release of 3GB worth of videos from a supposed test build. So, the recent incidents aren’t the first instances of the game leaking.
Then came the delays. Initially, the game was slated for a fall 2025 launch, but was then delayed to 26 May 2026. As this new launch date approached, the developer announced yet another delay, leading us to the current planned release date, 19 November 2026. The reason for the hold up? Well, the developer needed more time to polish the game.
So far, it looks like the third time’s the charm. The company seems adamant on releasing GTA VI this November, and more details have been cropping up. That said, some of them aren’t particularly pleasing. Apparently, physical copies of the game will not contain a disc, but rather a download code. This seems to align with the shift to digital-only releases in the gaming space.
Unsurprisingly, this decision drew some ire from players. Cyberleek, the anonymous entity responsible for the recent round of leaks, cited the lack of a physical disc as the reason for disseminating said leaks. The first clip surfaced on 18 August along with three “commandments” warning the developer against selling digital pre-orders and “fake single-player DLC”.
Initially, there were some doubts as to whether the leaks were legitimate. However, as Cyberleek continued to post more clips, the company began to take action. Rockstar Games owner Take-Two issued DMCA takedown notices to remove the offending content. Other than that, the firm filed several subpoenas requesting Microsoft and Discord assist in identifying Cyberleek.
Despite all this, it seems that the leaker remains undeterred. More clips have since appeared, including one featuring Lucia, the game’s other protagonist. Along with the footage, Cyberleek attached a message claiming that the build is recent and that the game is “not ready at all”. Of course, whether that is the case remains to be seen.
(Source: Rockstar Games via X, Notebookcheck)
