It’s been a rough week for Rockstar Games. Grand Theft Auto VI gameplay videos and source code were leaked by a hacker who breached the company’s Slack server and Confluence Wiki. The videos show gameplay of the game in an early Alpha state and confirm some of the details that have been reported recently about what the game would be like. The leaks were originally posted on GTAForums before spreading, even as Rockstar worked to contain and remove them.
The hacker stated they had stolen GTA 5 and 6 source code, assets, and a GTA 6 test build. While some of the GTA 5 data was supposedly for sale, the hacker was attempting to extort Rockstar to pay up and keep the GTA 6 data from being sold or leaked. The hacker claimed to be the same hacker who breached Uber recently and posted some screenshots of code as proof of what they had done. Both Jason Schreier and Rockstar themselves confirmed the authenticity of the videos that were leaked. Late last week, it was revealed that 2K Games also suffered a breach. 2K and Rockstar are both owned by Take-Two Interactive.
On Friday, the UK announced the arrest of a 17-year-old on suspicion of hacking. No other details were given at the time, but reporters and online sleuths began to investigate. Journalist Matthew Keys stated on Twitter that sources confirmed that the arrest was because of the Rockstar and Uber hacks. Since the suspect is a minor, no names will be released. More information will come out over time as these were pretty high-profile hacks.
It really is unfortunate for the developers of GTA 6 and other staff at Rockstar Games to have the game leaked like this. Since the footage shows the game in a pre-alpha/alpha state, many fans online posted dismay at the look of the game. However, many developers, publishers, and other authorities in the gaming world stated that the final version of the game would look nothing like what was leaked. Rockstar promised in their statement that the leak would not delay their work on the game and that they are excited to share more information and show off the game in the future on their own timeline, as it should be.
Image from: Take Two Interactive
