Teen GTA 6 Hacker Sentenced to Indefinite Hospitalization After Mental Health Assessment

An 18-year-old hacker who played a pivotal role in the international cybercrime gang Lapsus$ has been sentenced to an indefinite hospital order following his actions that included leaking clips of the much-anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6) game.

According to BBC, Oxford resident Arion Kurtaj, diagnosed with autism, was involved in the gang's cyberattacks on major tech companies such as Uber, Nvidia, and Rockstar Games, resulting in losses nearing $10 million for the affected firms.

Case of the GTA 6 Hacker

The judge presiding over the case emphasized Kurtaj's significant skills in cybercrime and his continued motivation to engage in such activities, which posed a considerable risk to the public.

As a result, Kurtaj has been sentenced to an indefinite stay in a secure hospital, subject to ongoing evaluations by medical professionals to determine his risk level. Throughout the trial, reports surfaced of Kurtaj's violent behavior while in custody, leading to numerous instances of injury and property damage.

Due to his acute autism, doctors initially deemed him unfit to stand trial, prompting the jury to focus on determining whether he committed the alleged acts rather than assessing criminal intent.

A mental health assessment presented during the sentencing hearing revealed Kurtaj's unwavering intent to return to cybercrime at the earliest opportunity, emphasizing his high motivation in this regard.

During his period on bail for previous hacking incidents involving Nvidia and BT/EE, Kurtaj continued his illicit activities while under police protection at a Travelodge hotel.

Notably, he executed his most audacious hack during this time, breaching Rockstar Games, the company behind the GTA series. Using unconventional methods, including an Amazon Firestick, his hotel TV, and a mobile phone, Kurtaj managed to infiltrate Rockstar's internal Slack messaging system.

Subsequently, he stole 90 clips of the unreleased Grand Theft Auto 6 and demanded contact from Rockstar within 24 hours. Otherwise, he threatened to release the game's source code.

Kurtaj remained in detention until the trial after his arrest for these actions. The case highlights the challenges posed by individuals with exceptional hacking skills and a determination to engage in cybercrime, with the legal system grappling with appropriate measures to address such threats.

GTA 6 Trailer Set New Records

On a related note, the official unveiling of the GTA 6 trailer has set new records, amassing a staggering 85 million views on YouTube within 22 hours of release.

This achievement has created substantial anticipation for the game, breaking records and surpassing previous benchmarks for YouTube views within 24 hours.

However, it is worth noting that this record does not account for music videos, with K-pop icon BTS holding the current record with 108 million views for their song "Butter" within the same timeframe.

The anticipation for GTA 6 has been growing for a decade, driven by the extended gap since the release of the franchise's last installment, Grand Theft Auto 5, in September 2013.