GTA 6: The Year of the Leaks

Nine days before Grand Theft Auto VI launches on November 19, 2026 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, Rockstar is wrapping up a year in which its most anticipated game leaked almost as often as it was officially revealed. Here's what happened, and what actually matters.

The precedent: the 2022 hack

It all started in September 2022, when a hacker published more than 90 videos from a development build after breaking into Rockstar's internal messaging. The footage confirmed early on the return to Vice City and the two lead characters. Rockstar described it at the time as a painful blow for its team.

August 2026: the Leonida map and two clips

On August 18, just days before Rockstar's big Netflix showcase, a group calling itself CyberLeek posted two gameplay clips and a full map of Leonida, the game's fictional Florida. The footage showed, among other things:

• a basketball mini-game that boosts one of Jason's stats;
• a six-star wanted system where police identify you by your looks, clothing and vehicle;
• a fuel gauge, a stamina bar during fights and a reputation indicator.

The fan mapping community considered the map genuine, but the footage came from a 2023 build. CyberLeek claimed it was protesting industry practices, yet its videos conveniently promoted its own cryptocurrency. Rockstar and Take-Two responded with copyright takedown requests.

September: 192 GB of data, unconfirmed

In September, another leak of roughly 192 GB made the rounds. It allegedly includes source code, internal tools, GTA 6 map assets and cut GTA 5 content, such as a scrapped "Agent Trevor" expansion and a larger Liberty City. None of it has been independently verified.

October: 25 minutes of gameplay

In late October, the CyberLeek account struck again with a roughly 25-minute video reportedly showing street racing and first-person driving. Take-Two is said to have answered with subpoenas to track down the source, while Rockstar stayed publicly silent.

Key takeaways

• The date isn't moving. None of these leaks has threatened November 19, and pre-loading has already started.
• The footage is old. A development build isn't the final game: mechanics seen in leaks may have changed or been cut.
• Be careful with files. GTA 6 "builds" offered for download are fakes at best and malware at worst. Don't install anything.
• Want to avoid spoilers? Mute "GTA 6 leak" and "CyberLeek" on social media until launch.

In nine days, we'll finally get to judge the real game instead of its stolen pieces.

Sources: GTABase · GamesRadar+ · Creative Bloq · Tech Insider · TechRadar