GTA 6 and leaks are becoming almost synonymous with each other, especially considering the number of supposed rumors and "leaked screenshots" that have come out of the GTA community.
Unsurprisingly, most of these leaks and rumors turn out to be fake as any mention of a GTA 6 leak will catch the attention of every fan of the franchise. So, it is entirely normal that there are some people who, for attention or otherwise, are creating their own rumors and leaks about this highly anticipated game.
Sadly, some fans grasp onto these unverified rumors and inflate their own expectations, which almost always results in disappointment. Therefore, in order to avoid this, this article will explain how players can tell when a GTA 6 leak is bogus.
Note: This article reflects the writer's subjective opinion.
4 things to keep in mind while looking at a GTA 6 leak
1) Screenshots can be easily created
All of the tools and software required for creating these fake screenshots and maps are easily accessible to people, and this is exemplified in the above embed in which Reddit user u/StikyLizardStudiosYT created a GTA-like interactive map.
Thus, players should be aware that it is very conceivable that any map or gameplay screenshot that is leaked can be made by the leaker themselves.
Players can also look at some Unreal Engine 5 trailers in which YouTubers remaster classic GTA games. So, it is entirely possible to create very convincing but fake gameplay clips and everyone should be aware of this trend.
2) Check the history of the leaker
Whenever there is a Grand Theft Auto 6 leak getting traction in the community, players should always check who the leaker is and try to understand how they were able to get access to the information. The easiest way to do this is by looking into their post history to check if they have claimed something like it before.
For the majority of the time, fraudulent leakers have freshly created accounts or have little more than 10 followers. As a result, players should always be wary of such accounts and treat anything they post with caution. Even worse, some leakers might have a track record of publishing false Grand Theft Auto 6 leaks.
Moreover, there are fairly reliable and popular leakers such as Tom Henderson and Tez2, who provide players with much more believable information. So, they should try to look out for any information from them rather than any random leaker.
3) Game development is an evolving process
It would be wrong to say that every leak about Grand Theft Auto 6 is not going to go in the right direction. But players should keep in mind that game development is not always a rigid process, especially considering the expected size of Grand Theft 6.
Therefore, even if a leak reveals a very likely feature that may be added in Grand Theft Auto 6, there is always a chance that it will be dropped for a number of different reasons.
Things change, new features are introduced, and older ideas are scrapped. So, players should be aware of this whenever they see a leak about some kind of feature that may be present in Grand Theft Auto 6.
4) Rockstar Games is the only reliable source
Truthfully, the safest way to take in new information is if Rockstar Games themselves have announced or talked about it. They are essentially the only reliable source and if players want to avoid consuming fake leaks, they need to follow Rockstar Games or read their Newswires.
The developers are not some kind of unreachable entity, and have their own Twitter account where they constantly post updates about their games. So, the best way players can distinguish between real leaks and fake ones is by checking with Rockstar Games to see if they have talked or even posted anything about the said leaks.