Rockstar Games has finally broken its silence on the recent "GTA 6" leak that swept the Internet last Sept. 18. The game developer stated on Twitter on Monday, Sept. 19, that the hackers obtained data through private network intrusion.
As reported in a recent Eurogamer article, an FBI team is now investigating the alleged cyberattack. According to the same report, authorities are currently looking into user "teapotuberhacker," who posted as a download on GTA Forums "GTA VI" gameplay footage leaks which hastily spread on the Internet on the same day of posting.
"It is possible I could leak more data soon, "GTA 5" and 6 source code and assets, "GTA 6" testing build," the now investigated user said in a forum post.
FBI Is Helping Rockstar Investigate GTA 6 Leak Hacker
A report from Ars Technica claims that the same leaker is a hacker who has accessed the Slack private chats of Rockstar employees. The videos and images that were leaked appeared to be developer footage, ranging from very old debug built to possibly more recent ones.
The tipster claimed to be a member of a cyber hacking group responsible for the recent Uber Slack attack. This is being confirmed gradually. "Over the weekend, there were reports that this same actor breached video game maker Rockstar Games," Uber said in the hack update newsroom.
According to Uber, the perpetrator is "affiliated with a hacking group called Lapsus$, which has been increasingly active over the last year or so" and has previously compromised a number of other software companies this year, including Microsoft, Samsung, and Nvidia.
The recent "GTA" 6 footage leak is regarded as one of the biggest leaks in video game history and a complete mess for Rockstar Games, according to Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier.
Based on the Bloomberg correspondent, this incident might cause the company to implement stricter workplace policies and restrict remote work, which would slow down the development of the aforementioned video game.
Not that there was much doubt, but I’ve confirmed with Rockstar sources that this weekend’s massive Grand Theft Auto VI leak is indeed real. The footage is early and unfinished, of course. This is one of the biggest leaks in video game history and a nightmare for Rockstar Games
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) September 18, 2022
According to a recent Tech Times report, despite illegally obtained information containing early development videos of the upcoming installment of GTA becoming public, Rockstar Games stated that no interruption of real-time games or long-term effects were anticipated as a result of the breach.
GTA 6 Leak Suggests Another Meta CEO Spoof
The GTA series is known for spoofing famous people, iconic locations, and events in its video games. The most recent leak, which Rockstar confirmed was obtained directly from their systems, was fleshed out by Internet users to include a reference to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
As per Mashable India, the leaked gameplay footage contains a reference to the "GTA 5" character who was unmistakably modeled after Mark Zuckerberg and offered an in-game conspiracy theory. Additionally, the character engaged in some interesting banter about Meta's data privacy management.
"Yeah, so Jay Norris can download your f***ing brain and sell it to the Chinese," the released clip's character says. Furthermore, the spoof's details are too elaborate to be purely coincidental. We get it. GTA 6 will most likely include more social commentary.
