Grand Theft Auto VI has become one of the most anticipated video game releases of all time, and Rockstar Games is finally set to pull back the curtain with an “extended look” event on Netflix later this month. But a major leak is keeping the studio from controlling the narrative.
According to IGN, a group calling itself Cyberleek has claimed responsibility for two leaked gameplay videos and a map image. Cyberleek says the leak is tied to a broader protest against digital pre-orders, “fake” single-player DLC, Sony’s killing of physical disks, and a demand for offline fallback modes in games. The purported leaked content spread rapidly across social media this week, adding yet another chapter to a launch run already haunted by past security breaches.
Grand Theft Auto VICyberleek incident: What leaked?
An official screenshot previously released by Rockstar Games.Credit: Rockstar Games
Two gameplay clips surfaced online recently: one showing the protagonist, Jason, shooting hoops outside his waterfront home, and another showing a road-rage confrontation with a delivery driver that escalates into a violent encounter with police in pursuit.
In addition, an image reportedly showing the game’s full map, covering the Florida-inspired state of Leonida, also circulated. Rockstar has not confirmed the material is genuine, though outlets covering the leak, like PC Gamer, described the clips as looking authentic, noting they resemble the kind of mundane test footage a QA tester might capture.
Reporters combing through this footage flagged several gameplay systems not previously confirmed. A six-star wanted system appears to return, alongside a new police awareness indicator that tracks what officers know about a suspect’s clothing, appearance, and vehicle.
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A stamina meter seems tied to melee combat, which outlets compared to the fistfighting in Red Dead Redemption 2, and a small on-screen icon suggests some form of morality or karma system reacting to violent actions.
Cars appear to track fuel and engine condition for the first time in the series, and a basketball mini-game seems to raise a “Focus” stat. The map leak reportedly shows both playable characters’ locations simultaneously, along with race tracks and a small airstrip near the Keys that some speculated could be a military base.
The genuine leak has also opened the door to a wave of misinformation.
According to Kotaku, AI-generated clips and screenshots have been circulating alongside the real footage, with some users passing them off as part of the new leak. Old footage from GTA VI‘s 2022 breach has reportedly been recirculated and mislabeled as new material, making it harder for fans to distinguish authentic clips from fabricated AI slop or recycled videos.
Kotaku noted that the footage in this latest leak, if genuine, appears to come from a build considerably further along in development than the one that leaked in 2022, though the exact age of the footage remains unknown.
The Cyberleek group reportedly has a manifesto that lists several demands for Rockstar and other publishers, threatening further leaks if the demands aren’t met. A second leak followed within a day of the first, this time showing taser gameplay and a cutscene, along with an unrelated promotion for a cryptocurrency token.
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The leak arrives just ahead of Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look, a Netflix-exclusive gameplay reveal scheduled for Aug. 27. GTA VI is due out on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on Nov. 19, 2026.
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Chance Townsend is the General Assignments Editor at Mashable, covering tech, video games, dating apps, digital culture, and whatever else comes his way. He has a Master’s in Journalism from the University of North Texas and is a proud orange cat father. His writing has also appeared in PC Mag and Mother Jones.
In his free time, he cooks, loves to sleep, and greatly enjoys Detroit sports. If you have any tips or want to talk shop about the Lions, you can reach out to him on Bluesky @offbrandchance.bsky.social or by email at [email protected].
