What’s Inside the Leak?
The leak contains two different video clips, both of which show Jason, one of the two main characters in the game:
- Clip 1: Shows Jason driving a truck, getting out of it, and assaulting an NPC in the street.
- Clip 2: Features Jason relaxing on a balcony in a Safe House before going to play some basketball.
It seems that the leaked videos are from an old build from 2023, but there is strong community support regarding their legitimacy. The reasons include the presence of a 6 Star Wanted meter, a functional stamina bar, and overall highly detailed graphics.
A Closer Look at the Map (Leonida)
In addition to the videos, an image of the map, which supposedly depicts all of the Leonida region’s (which stands for Florida in GTA terms) areas, was leaked. This information suggests that the world of the game will consist of five counties, each of which can be explored by the players. Among them, the area that is packed with interesting locations is Vice Dale County, which is where the famous Vice City (based on real Miami) is situated.
Who is “CyberLeek”?
The team who has released the leaks calls themselves CyberLeek and took responsibility for them as part of “Gamers’ Rights.” This movement opposes the tendency of the video game industry that prefers digital distribution of games and phasing out physical media (including GTA 6 which will not have any disks except the download code in the box).
According to IGN before CyberLeek’s website was down, they demanded three things from Rockstar Games and other large companies about digital ownership. In addition, the hackers complained about the “fake single-player DLC,” which refers to the unique shops, clothes, and cars available in the Ultimate Edition only. The CyberLeek manifesto ended with a strong warning:
“Publishers better watch out, if CyberLeek can get to Rockstar, then nobody is safe. Message to all the big corpo out there: watch your step, or else.”
Words of Caution: Real Protest or Cryptocurrency Scam?
Even with the radical anti-corporate message, the observers are approaching the situation with great skepticism. The QR code in the leaked footage leads to a cryptocurrency wallet from which the donations can be made, leaving many observers questioning the real intent of the group.
Response of Rockstar Games
Rockstar Games or its parent company Take-Two Interactive have not made any public statements regarding this incident yet. Still, the quick copyright takedown notices issued on various platforms point out that the publishers have already taken steps behind the curtains.
In case it is all real, the leaks occurred only days before the premiere of the Grand Theft Auto 6: An Extended Look trailer on the 27th of this month at 8 PM BST.
