GTA 6 Leak Showdown: Take-Two Sues, Cyberleek Dares to Spill It All
With just five days until the big Netflix reveal, Take-Two was supposed to have every frame of GTA 6 under lock and key. Instead, the publisher finds itself in a New York courtroom, subpoenas in hand, begging Discord and Microsoft to help unmask a digital ghost.
The hacker group Cyberleek has dropped at least seven gameplay videos this week, showing off the full Leonidas map, driving sequences, and even a sneak peek at the game’s strip clubs. As the clips spread faster than takedown requests, Take-Two watched $2 billion vanish from its market cap. Now, the publisher is going on the legal offensive—just days before the Netflix showcase on August 27—and these leaks are just the latest in a long saga.
Image credit: Rockstar Games
New York court greenlights subpoenas for Discord and Microsoft
With the content hemorrhage in full swing, Take-Two pulled out the legal big guns. This week, a New York judge approved subpoenas targeting Discord and Microsoft. The goal: get account data tied to Cyberleek’s posts on Discord and GitHub, the latter owned by Microsoft. The court order, issued after reviewing attorney Dale Cendali’s statement and supporting documents, authorizes the clerk to issue subpoenas to “obtain the identity of one or more alleged infringers” of Take-Two’s copyrights.
In practice, Discord and Microsoft will have to hand over email addresses, IPs, and login data linked to the suspect accounts. It’s a standard move in US intellectual property cases, but the outcome is anything but certain. Cyberleek claims it’s covered its tracks, boasting on its site that copies of the build are scattered across servers worldwide, “in places Take-Two can’t reach.” The publisher still has no clue how the leaks happened in the first place.
Xbox pledges full support to Rockstar
Take-Two isn’t fighting this alone. Scott Van Vliet, CTO of Xbox, has publicly promised Rockstar and Take-Two his full support in protecting their IP. This isn’t just industry solidarity: Microsoft, as owner of GitHub—where some of the leaked material surfaced—is directly entangled in the leak chain. Their active cooperation could seriously speed up tracking down those responsible.
This alliance is pure survival instinct. When a game as massive as GTA 6—probably the biggest launch of the decade—gets hacked at this scale, the whole ecosystem shakes. Publishers, hardware makers, and platforms all share one goal: prove that no mega-leak goes unpunished. Cyberleek, for its part, seems unfazed. The group has even started monetizing its exploits, charging up to $165,000 in crypto to place ads in future leaks. That’s cynicism in its purest form.
$2 billion lost on the stock market: the price of leaks for Take-Two
Beyond the PR nightmare, the leaks have hit Take-Two’s wallet hard. The company’s market cap has melted by $2 billion since the start of the week. Investors aren’t punishing the video content itself, but what it signals: a total loss of control over the company’s flagship product. When a publisher can’t manage its own hype cycle, market confidence takes a nosedive.
The seven videos leaked by Cyberleek cover everything from hypercar races and store heists to run-ins with the cops. One telling detail: one clip features Tate McRae’s track Sports Car, set for release in early 2025—hinting that the build is pretty recent. Financial analysts are now sweating over several nightmare scenarios:
- A full, playable build leaks before the November 19 release, fueling large-scale piracy
- Major plot points—like the end of Lucia’s story arc—get spoiled, killing the surprise for players
- The Netflix showcase on August 27 loses its marketing punch, even though it was supposed to be the first big official gameplay reveal
Notably, none of the leaked videos show Lucia in action. Every sequence features male characters, fueling speculation that the female protagonist is unlocked later in the campaign—or maybe the hacker just hasn’t gotten that far yet.
The clock is ticking. Legal subpoenas will take weeks, maybe months, to yield results, while Cyberleek promises fresh leaks every day. By the August 27 showcase, Take-Two will have to decide: stick to the original marketing plan, or improvise a whole new strategy for a game millions have already peeked at through the back door?
GTA VI, PlayStation 5, Rockstar Games
