Fans have been waiting for GTA 6 for a very long time. Rockstar Games officially confirmed the sequel's active development in February 2022 and assured that more information would be shared in the future. However, just a few months later, more than 90 video clips featuring the upcoming title's development footage were leaked online.
While many were still skeptical, Rockstar soon confirmed that the leaks were indeed authentic. This gaming studio hasn't commented on its next project since the leaks first came about, but the GTA 6 hacker was reportedly found guilty by a UK court around August 23, 2023.
GTA 6 hacker being found guilty, release date rumors, and more news about the upcoming game
According to a recent report by the BBC, Arion Kurtaj, a member of the Lapsus$ hacking group, has been found guilty of leaking over 90 Grand Theft Auto 6 gameplay clips in September 2022 by a UK court.
The hacker was also reportedly responsible for cyber attacks on other reputed corporations, such as Uber and Nvidia. Arion reportedly leaked GTA 6 gameplay from a hotel room using an Amazon Fire TV Stick as well as a smartphone and even threatened Rockstar about disclosing Grand Theft Auto 6's source code.
There was news about him possibly being deemed unfit for trial around July 2023, but the new BBC report states that this 18-year-old hacker was found responsible for leaking nearly a hundred clips of GTA 6 gameplay footage and will be sentenced at a later date.
Grand Theft Auto 6 release date rumors
Strauss Zelnick, the CEO of Rockstar Games' parent company, Take-Two Interactive, previously stated that despite GTA 6 leaks having an effect on developers' emotions, the studio wasn't affected business-wise.
Hence, the next Grand Theft Auto game should most likely not face any delays. That said, fans still have no idea about when it will be released. Reputed insiders have suggested a release window between late 2024 and early 2025.
Interestingly, revelations from Take-Two Interactive's recent earnings call have somewhat strengthened those claims. Strauss Zelnick also believes that Fiscal 2025 (FY25) will be a highly profitable period for the company, bringing in an expected Net Bookings revenue of $8 billion.
Out of all the titles under Take-Two's belt, Grand Theft Auto 6 has the best chance of generating that kind of revenue. Therefore, the title is rumored to come out during FY25, which lasts from late 2024 to early 2025.
Fans of the series are more excited about Grand Theft Auto 6's features than its release date, although no official information is available about this. Even the things spotted in last year's leaks might be changed at its launch.
Rumors related to this title continuously appear on social media, with some recent ones suggesting dynamic weather in GTA 6, facial recognition, and revamped police AI. The inclusion of these features in Rockstar's upcoming game can only be confirmed after its release.
It's worth noting that the voice actor of Michael De Santa from GTA 5, Ned Luke, assured fans that this title will be worth the wait while responding to a comment on a recent Instagram post.