The massive GTA 6 leak that occurred yesterday has finally been addressed by Rockstar Games. The company officially declared that the alleged early build footage for the game was, in fact, real.
Although they admitted that their network security had been compromised, the company emphasized that it wouldn't have an impact on the upcoming game. Rockstar has also promised to provide fans with information on the next Grand Theft Auto title as soon as it's ready.
GTA 6 leaks is confirmed real as Rockstar issues official statement acknowledging it
Here's what the official statement says:
"We recently suffered a network intrusion in which an unauthorized third party illegally accessed and downloaded confidential information from our systems, including early development footage for the next Grand Theft Auto. At this time, we do not anticipate any disruption to our live game services nor any long-term effect on the development of our ongoing projects..."
The statement further reads:
"...We are extremely disappointed to have any details of our next game shared with you all in this way. Our work on the next Grand Theft Auto game will continue as planned and we remain as committed as ever to delivering an experience to you, our players, that truly exceeds our expectations. We will update everyone again soon and, of course, we will properly introduce you to this next game when it is ready. We want to thank everyone for their ongoing support through this situation."
According to the above statement, the 90 video clips made public were indeed accessed illegally by someone outside the company. Hence, rumors that this leak was caused by a disgruntled Rockstar Games employee can be completely dismissed.
The majority of fans were concerned, as such a large leak could result in a game being postponed or, worse, canceled. Rockstar has expressed their gratitude to everyone who has stood by them throughout this ordeal.
How has the leak affected Rockstar?
All of the GTA 6 clips were from the game's early builds and demonstrated various features and mechanics that Rockstar was testing out. The company had no intention of making this public because it displayed an incomplete game with elements that might be significantly altered before release.
The leaker also asserted to be in possession of GTA 6 and GTA 5's source code. Fans and industry professionals were concerned that the upcoming title might be postponed as a result. A GTA 5 source code leak would also have had an impact on its live service multiplayer iteration, GTA Online.
However, according to the official statement, no such disruption will take place. This could imply that the alleged source code leak was false, or that it was contained before being spread. This is good news for both fans and the developers who have been working on it.
How has Rockstar dealt with the situation so far?
Most YouTubers who uploaded screenshots or the clips themselves were issued notices to take down their videos. Some of the more popular YouTubers who simply discussed the leaks were also sent the same warnings. However, there are still many videos floating on the internet which show the leaked footage.
Although the leak could have been worse, this should be a good enough reason to tighten security measures. The fact that a third-party person or group was able to infiltrate such an influential game development studio ought to serve as a warning to others in the industry.