The Timeline
| Date | What happened | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2022 | Rockstar's internal Slack is breached and 90+ early GTA 6 test clips are posted to GTAForums. Rockstar confirms the "network intrusion" a day later. | Confirmed by Rockstar |
| 2023 | The hacker, an 18-year-old associated with the Lapsus$ group, is convicted in the UK and given an indefinite hospital order. | Court record |
| Aug 15–19, 2026 | Ahead of the Aug 27 Netflix Extended Look, several low-quality gameplay clips and a partial map image circulate. Rockstar issues takedowns within hours. | Unverified clips, rapid takedowns |
| Aug 20, 2026 | An account using the name CyberLeek claims access to a full working build. OC3D reports the footage appears to come from a PC build. | Claim reported; not verified |
| Aug 21, 2026 | NBC News and Bloomberg cover the breach as a corporate security story. Take-Two subpoenas Microsoft (reported by Windows Central). | Reported by mainstream outlets |
| Aug 24, 2026 | Take-Two's subpoenas reportedly widen to Discord and X, seeking records for the accounts that first shared the footage. The Verge reports the posts "keep coming." | Reported |
| Aug 26, 2026 | Rockstar issues a rare public statement calling the leaks "heartbreaking" for the team and confirming the reveal will go ahead as planned. | Official statement |
| Aug 27, 2026 | The official Netflix Extended Look airs. Full breakdown → | Official |
| Sep 18–20, 2026 | A reported 192GB archive of mostly GTA V-era development material surfaces (Insider Gaming, Tom's Hardware). It includes a cancelled Liberty City DLC and some early terrain data. | Reported; mostly GTA V |
| Oct 3–4, 2026 | A PEGI listing is briefly visible before being pulled. Its descriptors fit the already-confirmed ESRB Mature 17+ rating. | Rating-board listing |
| Oct 6–12, 2026 | CyberLeek teases a return and threatens a "full game" drop. No full build appears. | Threat only |
| Oct 20, 2026 | CyberLeek's "reveals" turn out to be tied to a crypto token, which then collapses. Coverage widely calls it a pump-and-dump. | Reported |
What the Leaks Actually Told Us
Most of what leaked was later shown officially in the Extended Look anyway: the six-star wanted system, soft-body vehicle damage, Jason and Lucia switching during robberies, and how dense Vice Beach is. For anything gameplay-related, use our guides based on official footage, not leaked clips:
- 6-Star Wanted System guide
- Robbery and heist mechanics
- RAGE 9 vehicle physics
- Leonida map and locations
Stay Safe: Fake "Leaked Builds" Are Malware
Piracy sites and Discord servers have been pushing "leaked GTA 6" downloads since August 2026. None of them are real. They have been found to carry credential stealers and crypto-wallet drainers. The only legitimate way to play is the official release on November 19, 2026 (PS5, Xbox Series X|S), with preloads opening November 12. See our release date, price and editions guide.