Rockstar Calls GTA 6 Leak 'Heartbreaking' but Says Game Is Almost Finished

Rockstar Games has broken its silence over the latest GTA 6 leak, calling the release of unauthorised gameplay footage 'heartbreaking' while telling fans the long-awaited game is 'nearly there'.

In a statement addressed to fans, Rockstar said it knew many players had been waiting for an update after a week of leaks linked to the anonymous online persona known as Cyberleek.

The studio said it was painful to see videos of Grand Theft Auto VI circulate online before the game was ready to be shown properly.

'It would be an understatement to say that having videos of Grand Theft Auto VI gameplay leak in this way has been heartbreaking for our team,' Rockstar said.

The company added that the leaks were 'obviously not how we intended' players to see the game after years of development. Rockstar also apologised for how long everything has taken, from finishing development to releasing more details and official gameplay, but gave fans a major update: the project is 'nearly there'.

Extended Look Coming Before Launch

The statement comes just before Rockstar's planned extended look at GTA 6, which is set to debut on Netflix on 27 August at 3 p.m. ET, before appearing on Rockstar's official YouTube channel and GTA 6 website at 9 p.m. ET.

Rockstar said it was 'very excited' for players to see the preview and acknowledged that preparing it had taken longer than expected.

'It has taken longer than we wanted to get it ready,' the studio said, adding that it knows it needs to exceed players' expectations and is determined to deliver at the level they expect.

The company acknowledged that spoilers may now affect the intended experience, but urged players to wait until the official release. Grand Theft Auto VI is currently scheduled to launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on 19 November 2026. Rockstar's official GTA 6 website continues to list that date.

Take-Two Goes After Cyberleek

The response follows legal action from Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar's parent company, as it tries to identify those behind the leaks and remove leaked material from the internet.

On 20 August, Take-Two filed requests in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York seeking subpoenas directed at Microsoft and Discord. The company sought identifying information linked to accounts and servers allegedly involved in distributing the leaked material.

The publisher subsequently expanded its efforts with additional DMCA subpoena requests involving X and Google-owned YouTube, seeking information that could help identify accounts allegedly distributing GTA 6 footage.

Take-Two said in its court filings that the purpose of the requests was to identify an alleged copyright infringer or infringers. Documents described the protected material as including audiovisual content, artwork, images, dialogue and other creative elements from the unreleased game.

The filings lend significant weight to the conclusion that at least some of the material targeted by Take-Two came from the unreleased game. However, they should not be treated as independent authentication of every clip circulating online under the Cyberleek name.

Leaks Show Gameplay, Vehicles and Minigames

The latest wave of leaks began around 18 August and included footage apparently showing driving, basketball, flying and combat sequences involving protagonist Jason Duval.

Other reporting on the leaked material has described additional locations and gameplay elements, although not every clip circulating online has been independently authenticated. Clips appeared to show beaches, nightlife locations, gas stations, strip clubs and even a nudist village.

Some fans focused on the scale of the environments and the dense crowds of non-playable characters. Others warned that the footage appeared to come from a development build and should not necessarily represent the finished game.

This is not the first major GTA 6 leak. In 2022, dozens of development videos surfaced online, showing early footage of protagonists Jason and Lucia. That leak led to the arrest and later indefinite hospital order of hacker Arion Kurtaj.

Rockstar reportedly tightened security after that breach, including requiring employees to return to the office five days a week in 2024, citing productivity and security concerns. The latest breach has therefore landed particularly hard with a development team that has spent years trying to keep one of gaming's most anticipated releases under wraps.