GTA 6 Leaker encourages protests against Rockstar; fan seen at studio

Rockstar Games made its first public statement regarding the recent leaks related to GTA 6. The studio described the dissemination of gameplay videos as a 'devastating' event for the entire team, clarifying that the released content does not reflect how the company plans to present the title to the public.

In its statement, the company expressed regret over the incident and lamented that some aspects of the experience planned for the launch have been compromised due to spoilers. Furthermore, Rockstar guaranteed that it has plans to provide more official information and gameplay to satisfy fan expectations.

Despite the impact caused by the leaks, the developer emphasized that the game's schedule remains unchanged, maintaining the projected release date for GTA 6 as November 19th. Rockstar also thanked the community for its support during the previous week and announced that new updates will be shared soon.

The studio is expected to officially reveal the extended gameplay version this Thursday, August 27th, during a presentation hosted by Netflix.

Despite Rockstar Games removing some of the videos showing the supposed GTA 6 gameplay, the hacker known as CyberLeeks, active on the X platform, persists in releasing new recordings.

On Thursday, August 20th, the individual published a clip where he wrote the word 'LEEK' inside the game, suggesting he has access to a playable version of GTA 6, whose release is scheduled for November 19th. Unlike the first major leak in 2022, the most recent leaks have brought a clear message: a protest against the absence of a physical edition of the game.

All the material is being exposed before the official reveal, which will take place on August 27th on Netflix. This event, called Extended Look, promises to detail aspects such as map expansion, character context, and officially present the gameplay. GTA 6 will be released for PlayStation 5 (PS5) and Xbox Series X/S, but there is still no set date for its arrival on personal computers.

The content released by CyberLeeks includes short clips featuring protagonists already confirmed by Rockstar, Jason and Lucia, in everyday situations within the game. They are seen entering vehicles, traveling through Vice City, and committing minor crimes in the open environment.

According to the British portal Metro, some notable updates include the possibility of duplicating keys or using non-lethal weaponry, a feature less common in other titles in the series. In the leaked videos, Lucia is seen walking through the streets of Vice City and the main beach of the game, which is a fictional representation of Miami Beach. The images show graphical refinements, such as the hyper-realistic sweat textures on the back of the character.

Jason also appears training on the beach, performing weightlifting exercises. This action recalls mechanics found in GTA: San Andreas, released in 2004, where the player could develop the character's physical attributes. Furthermore, a map of Leonida, the fictional state of Florida, containing rural areas and the city of Vice City, is circulating online. The website PC Gamer cataloged the wanted level, which can reach six stars, along with a police ID card type and a basketball minigame and a character morality system, a feature seen in Red Dead Redemption 2.

It is important to emphasize that there is no confirmation that these clips were extracted from the final version of GTA 6. Given the era of generative artificial intelligence, many videos available online present unnatural movements for the scope of the game. On the other hand, Rockstar removed certain videos alleging copyright infringement, which strengthens the hypothesis that part of the material is authentic. Some clips also display supposed extended cinematic sequences that resemble scenes already shown in official trailers.

CyberLeeks posted several clips on his website accompanied by messages directed at Rockstar. The main demand, as reported by the site Polygon, was the guarantee that the game would have a physical media release: 'No physical media? Then, more leaks,' one of the messages declared. Additionally, another point generated attention: the publication of 'mandates,' as pointed out by GameSpot. The last title in the franchise, GTA 5, was released over ten years ago, even reaching the PlayStation 3 (PS3) and Xbox 360 generation in 2013. Since then, Rockstar has focused its efforts on DLCs for GTA Online mode, without introducing significant updates to the story mode.