Just days before the presentation of GTA 6, scheduled for August 27, 2026, on Netflix, Rockstar Games is facing one of the biggest leak scandals in its history. It all began on the evening of August 18, when the hacker or group of hackers Cyberleek published several gameplay clips along with a partial reconstruction of the game's map. The posts then continued almost daily, with several sequences lasting around two minutes and showing driving, environments, and various gameplay phases. Cyberleek claims to be acting in defense of consumers, notably by demanding a genuine physical edition of GTA 6 and the continued presence of single-player experiences at Rockstar. These motives were quickly called into question, however: the group is simultaneously using the leaks to promote its own cryptocurrency, organizing paid polls, and even offering commercial deals tied to its upcoming posts. In total, as of August 22, seven gameplay videos and one map had been released, representing more than ten minutes of content apparently originating from a relatively recent version of the game.

The situation quickly took on a much more serious dimension. On August 19, Cyberleek published two new videos, including a cinematic clip, before organizing a paid poll that generated nearly $10,000. The following day, a new sequence showed the hacker writing their pseudonym, “Leek,” into the game's environment using bullet impacts, suggesting that they might have direct access to a playable build. After more than 24 hours of silence, Cyberleek reappeared on August 21 with a video titled HYPERCAR PART 1, followed the next day by HYPERCAR PART 2, featuring another drive and two convenience-store robberies. An investigation conducted by members of GTA Forums, notably digital forensics specialist Vice Cit, estimates that the leaks were deliberately spaced out to maintain attention around the $CYBERLEEK memecoin. The hacker reportedly invested approximately $29,000 in the operation and generated between $40,000 and $60,000 in trading fees, with daily volume of around $2.1 million. The funding reportedly traces back to KuCoin, a platform that requires a KYC procedure that could help investigators identify those responsible. Cyberleek allegedly even offered customized gameplay videos or advertising placements in its leaks starting at $130,000.

In response to the situation, Take-Two Interactive and Rockstar Games have launched a legal offensive. On August 21, proceedings were initiated to obtain information from Microsoft and Discord concerning accounts potentially involved in distributing the content. During the night of August 21–22, New York judges authorized several subpoenas requested by Take-Two, while Scott Van Vliet, Xbox's CTO, confirmed that Microsoft was cooperating with Rockstar and Take-Two in the investigation. Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier also stated that Rockstar's various offices around the world were actively working to identify the source of the leak. According to his information, the hacker did indeed have access to a playable version of the game, rather than merely prerecorded videos. The teams are reportedly particularly frustrated after being required to return to the office five days a week, a measure intended in part to reduce the risk of leaks. Despite the crisis, Rockstar reportedly has no plans for any immediate changes to its marketing strategy: the August 27 presentation on Netflix is reportedly still scheduled to go ahead, and development of GTA 6 is continuing normally. At the same time, claims of a second playable build held by the group 808 Mafia have been widely debunked, even though the group did distribute technical data and screenshots apparently originating from an Xbox.

The potential consequences nevertheless remain significant. In the first hours of the incident, Take-Two's stock reportedly fell by $15.29, corresponding to approximately $2.83 billion in lost market capitalization in less than 48 hours. The leaks could also complicate the promotional partnership with Netflix, which is intended to give the public its first genuinely in-depth look at GTA 6's gameplay. The risk now depends primarily on the extent of the data Cyberleek actually has access to. A few additional videos would probably be quickly overshadowed by the official presentation, but the leak of a complete build, cinematics, or important plot elements could trigger a massive wave of spoilers. The episode is all the more sensitive because GTA 6 already has a long history of leaks: 91 videos from a development version were stolen in September 2022 after an intrusion into a Rockstar Slack server, the first trailer leaked several hours before its official release on December 4, 2023, and animations from a former developer's portfolio circulated on December 1, 2025. For a project estimated to have a budget of more than $2 billion and involving nearly 6,000 people, this latest crisis above all highlights the immense difficulty Rockstar faces in keeping secret one of the most anticipated games in history.