A user on GTAForums has dumped over 100 videos of in-development footage of Grand Theft Auto 6 – the long-awaited sequel to one of the most profitable pieces of media ever created.

Although Rockstar have confirmed the footage to be genuine, it’s unclear how old it is, though educated guesses have been made based on the graphics card some of the footage (RTX 3060 Ti and RTX 3080 cards), meaning it can’t be older than two years.

While leaks aren’t uncommon – especially given the ever more herculean undertaking that AAA game production entails – Rockstar, and it’s publisher Take-Two Interactive are famously secretive and historically airtight (relatively speaking) when it comes to leaks.

Here, we’ll break down what’s currently circulating the internet, as well the reaction and fallout to one of the biggest leaks the medium has seen.

What did the leak show?

The videos – though clearly showing very early builds of the game, replete with unfinished textures and placeholder assets – confirms much of what was postulated in a Bloomberg report earlier this year.

Namely, that the game will usher a tonal shift for the series in an attempt to be more cognisant to a shifting political landscape that may not cater to some of the series’ previous broad strokes with regards to issues like race, sex, gender and police brutality –

The game hopes to achieve this, first and foremost, by featuring a female protagonist for the first time. Footage from the leak show the character (one of two leads in the game) engaging in various mechanics, including passenger shooting mechanics.

One of the more complete videos uploaded shows both characters partnering up to rob a diner, holding the patrons at gunpoint before the police arrive. Others are in rougher shape, and feature little more than a featureless placeholder character moving around an empty landscape acting out combat animations like taking cover.

What’s been the reaction?

Take-Two has moved quickle to try and DCMA the footage out of existence wherever it pops up (which is seemingly everywhere, at the moment).

“We recently suffered a network intrusion,” said Rockstar Games in an official statement via Twitter, only confirming that the footage was legitmate days after it had been circulating. “An unauthorized third party illegally accessed and downloaded confidential information from our systems, including early development footage for the next Grand Theft Auto.”

A Message from Rockstar Games pic.twitter.com/T4Wztu8RW8

— Rockstar Games (@RockstarGames) September 19, 2022

They continue, directly responding to a great deal of speculation that leaks like this can significantly delay a game’s progress, “We do not anticipate any disruption to our live game services nor any long-term effect on the development of our ongoing projects.”

Rockstar adds that it’s “extremely disappointed” about the leak, and that they will “properly introduce” us to the game when it’s ready.

Over the weekend, it also appeared that the hacker was attempting to strike a deal with Rockstar. Though it isn’t immediately apparent what kind of deal, it’s likely to stop distributing more material or to ensure that the leaker doesn’t get sued.

“i am looking to negotiate a deal”

GTA VI leaker says they’ve woken up to thousands of messages and are calling on people from Rockstar/Take Two to contact them. pic.twitter.com/cnPs57NAt7

— Stephen Totilo (@stephentotilo) September 18, 2022

GTAForums, where the leaker had been posting, has received communications from Take-Two lawyers, demanding they remove all “copyrighted materials.”

Recommended

• Four Scots firms selected to promote fintech overseas
• A swift recruitment process could win the best tech talent
• 28% rise in global internet demand suggests a return to ‘normal’

How does this rank among other major leaks?

As well as the first ever footage from GTA 6 emerging across the internet midway through September, Sunday the 18th also saw a full 43 minutes of the unfinished Diablo IV get uploaded. Footage from the ongoing friends and family alpha test previously appeared last month, but not anything this comprehensive.

Given the circumstances and history of the company involved, this will certainly go down as one of the most substantial leaks of its kind. However, it could be argued that nothing will dethrone the 2003 leak of Half Life 2’s source code at the hands of a German hacker – five months before the games release.

Get the latest news from DIGIT direct to your inbox

Our newsletter covers the latest technology and IT news from Scotland and beyond, as well as in-depth features and exclusive interviews with leading figures and rising stars.

To subscribe, click here.