Alleged Grand Theft Auto VI Gameplay Footage Leaks Online
A treasure trove of gameplay footage of what is believed to be Rockstar's highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI surfaced online on Sunday.
More than 90 in-development clips were uploaded on GTAForums, a dedicated discussion site for fans of the blockbuster franchise, by a hacker who goes by "teapotuberhacker" before it spread across social media. It's not clear how the clips in question were obtained, though the hacker claims to also be behind the recent Uber hack.
Bloomberg's Jason Schreier has since confirmed the leak's legitimacy, saying they're from an early build of the game.
"Not that there was much doubt, but I’ve confirmed with Rockstar sources that this weekend’s massive Grand Theft Auto VI leak is indeed real," he said in a tweet. "This is one of the biggest leaks in video game history and a nightmare for Rockstar Games."
The footage also lines up with what Schreier previously reported about the game, chief of which is that the game features two protagonists, one male and one female, with players being able to switch between the two at any point. One clip shows the female character, named Lucia, robbing a restaurant, while another shows the male character hanging out in a club. There's also a clip of the male character riding the “Vice City Metro," seemingly confirming Schreier's previous claim that the game is indeed set in the Miami-inspired fictional city.
With the excitement surrounding the game, the leaks, of course, sent the internet abuzz. There were some who expressed their excitement of finally seeing the game in action, albeit at an unfinished state, while others lamented how leaks could possibly disrupt Rockstar's development process. Schreier also said that the leaks could lead management to limit work-from-home flexibility, which could perhaps make development more difficult.
The hacker claims he has some source code and assets from Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto VI, including a test build of the forthcoming game, and looks to use these as leverage to negotiate some sort of deal with Rockstar. What this alleged deal entails is yet unknown.
Grand Theft Auto VI is said to have been in the works since 2014. In Schreier's report this year, he said the game was still about two years away from being ready to launch. That, however, could perhaps soon change because of the leaks. Apart from the change in work arrangements, Rockstar may now have to re-engineer the game if it's true that the source code has been compromised. Source code essentially describes the set of instructions that the computer processes to run the game. If a hacker has access to it, for instance, he or she can alter the game however they see fit, giving them free rein to cheat players, among other malicious actions.
As of writing, developer Rockstar and publisher Take-Two Interactive have yet to publicly acknowledge or comment about the incident.
More than 90 gameplay clips of what is believed to be Rockstar's highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI surfaced online on Sunday.
Bloomberg's Jason Schreier has since confirmed the leak's legitimacy, saying they're from an early build of the game.
The hacker, who leaked the footage, claims he has some source code and assets from Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto VI, including a test build of the forthcoming game, and looks to use these as leverage to negotiate a deal with developer Rockstar.