GTA 6 leaks escalate as hackers call for fans to target Rockstar in real life.
We’re almost a week into the unprecedented leaks surrounding Grand Theft Auto 6, and the hackers behind it show no signs of slowing down. This unusual scenario has thrust Rockstar into uncharted waters. The group, known as Cyberleek, has become increasingly bold, leveraging their anonymity to continue their activities.
Typically, when a high-profile game experiences a leak, publishers respond with DMCA takedown requests to curb the spread of information. Take-Two, the publisher for GTA 6, has taken similar steps, yet the leaks persist. A significant factor in this ongoing situation is how Cyberleek is sharing the leaked content. They are utilizing Arweave, a decentralized protocol that permanently stores information. Once data is uploaded to Arweave, it is replicated by miners, akin to cryptocurrency networks. This setup makes it nearly impossible to completely erase the Cyberleek website, assuming the hackers paid a one-time fee. The nature of this GTA 6 leak is unprecedented, leaving no clear path for containment.
There has been some confusion regarding access to the website, as some users encounter a message stating, “Requested content blocked by this node’s content policy. Blocked ID: cyberleek.” This does not mean the site has been taken down; it remains accessible through different gateways on the storage network. Consequently, new clips of GTA 6 continue to emerge online despite apparent takedown efforts.
Rockstar and Take-Two have not remained passive in this situation. Alongside last week’s subpoenas aimed at Microsoft and Discord to uncover the hackers’ identities, the publisher has recently issued a court order against a social media platform to pursue the same goal. While the game developers have kept quiet publicly, internally, the mood is different. Reports indicate that Rockstar leadership is “angry” about the second wave of leaks, especially after a significant breach in 2023 prompted them to implement stricter security measures, which ultimately failed to prevent the latest incidents. Employees are reportedly feeling “frustrated and exhausted.”
Since that report, the situation has escalated. Cyberleek has updated its Contact page to offer potential ad placements and custom gameplay for an undisclosed fee. They’ve also started holding fan votes on what content to release next, monetizing those choices. The recent strip club leak was only made possible after fans managed to raise Cyberleek’s cryptocurrency to a market cap of $3 million, achieving this in just a few hours.
The latest nude town leak takes things even further. In addition to fan voting, Cyberleek has added a new requirement: “To show support, at least 10 gamers need to show up dressed as leeks in front of Take-Two/Rockstar offices holding game discs during working hours.”
The hacking group claims their motivation stems from a desire to punish Take-Two and Rockstar for opting to release GTA 6 without a physical disc. Despite this apparent activist stance, they have also seized every opportunity to profit from the situation. Whether anyone will actually meet Cyberleek’s demand to mock Rockstar and Take-Two remains to be seen, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility. Just a few months ago, a YouTuber was arrested for attempting to enter Rockstar’s Edinburgh office.
An outlet has reached out to Rockstar for comments on the escalating situation.
