Rockstar Games 'heartbroken' by Grand Theft Auto 6 leaks

What the report says

Nicole Carpenter,Columnist,Game DeveloperAugust 26, 20263 Min ReadImage via Rockstar Games/Take-Two InteractiveTake-Two Interactive-owned Rockstar Games has directly addressed the past several weeks of Grand Theft Auto leaks on Wednesday. After filing multiple subpoenas to various tech companies in an effort to identify the leaker, Rockstar Games said on social media it was "heartbroken" about the leaks."We know that many of you have been waiting to hear from us regarding the events of the past week," the company wrote on social media. "It would be an understatement to say that having videos of Grand Theft Auto 6 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 company apologized in Wednesday's statement for how long "everything" has taken, "from getting the game finished (nearly there!) to sharing more details and official gameplay."The leaks began on Jan.

18 and have continued daily since, even after Rockstar Games filed its subpoenas. More than a dozen videos or screenshots have been shared online since. There's been one more clip released after Rockstar Games' statement on Wednesday morning. CyberLeek also appears to be using the leaks to promote a meme coin with the same name. The person has also criticized a decision to release Grand Theft Auto 6 digitally, with no disc in physical boxes.But the leak, according to CyberLeek, is a warning to all video game makers and publishers; those that don't abide by their manifesto commandments—not selling digital preorders or "fake single-player DLC" and preserving single-player content—could be the next target, per the leaker.Rockstar Games' only response until Wednesday was through its lawyers: They filed multiple subpoenas looking for information about the leaker.Here's the full statement:Dear all, We know that many of you have been waiting to hear from us regarding the events of the past week.

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. 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.We are very excited for everyone to see the extended look tomorrow. 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, and we are determined to deliver at the level you expect and deserve.

Key details

While it is unfortunate that the intended game experience may now be impacted by some spoilers, we hope that everyone will wait a bit longer to experience the game for themselves on November 19.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. Ultimately, we are making this game for you, and without you, we would not have the privilege of making games.We look forward to sharing more with you soon.Top StoriesTake-TwoRockstar GamesAbout the AuthorNicole CarpenterColumnist, Game DeveloperNicole Carpenter is a veteran reporter who has been covering the video game industry for over a decade.See more from Nicole Carpenter