After a week of saying nothing, Rockstar publishes a statement on the gameplay videos circulating online. It apologizes and promises to exceed expectations at tomorrow's Extended Look.
Photo: Rockstar Games
Sources bbc.com · kotaku.com
It took a week. Rockstar posted a message on Instagram about the GTA 6 videos circulating since last week, reports Kotaku. The studio writes that seeing gameplay leak this way has been "heartbreaking for our team" and that it is "obviously not how we intended for you to see the game after all this time". The BBC relays the text and adds the legal context.
The surprising part is the apology: "We are very sorry that everything has taken as long as it has, from getting the game finished (nearly there) to sharing more details and official gameplay." Kotaku reads it as an admission: the leaks did a job fans blame Rockstar for not doing, hence the sense of an ostentatiously silent studio catching up. The text also promises to exceed expectations at tomorrow's Netflix presentation.
Rockstar says it regrets that "the intended game experience may now be impacted by some spoilers" and hopes everyone will wait until November 19. Kotaku pushes back: the footage reveals neither story nor missions, and the site struggles to see what would be spoiled.
The BBC recalls that the clips were first removed from social platforms through copyright strikes, and that Take-Two, Rockstar's parent company, launched legal proceedings on Friday in a New York court. The group behind the leaks says it acts in players' interests and accuses Rockstar of anti-consumer practices, such as no disc version at launch. But each release invited viewers to send cryptocurrency donations to the uploader, which cools part of the audience. Kotaku, for its part, counts a run of 15 clips and mentions the name Cyberleek.
The Extended Look aired the next day, August 27, as planned. In early September, Take-Two said its investigation was moving quickly and that it had made further requests for anonymized data, which we cover in the journal. The game remains dated November 19, 2026 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, preload on November 12, PEGI 18, 79.99 € standard and 99.99 € Ultimate. No PC version is announced.
A studio that speaks as rarely as Rockstar does not publish a text in this tone by chance. It acknowledges players' impatience and sets the stage for the next day. For the public the rule stays prudent: a leak is not an official preview, and links that ask for money are best avoided. The images that count are the ones Rockstar releases itself.
Sources bbc.com · kotaku.com
By Solange Rocheval · VI Countdown newsroom, OKALAM Studio