Anonymous leaker 'Cyberleak' releases GTA VI gameplay footage and playable build

The video game "GTA VI" is making headlines before its release. Leaks show gameplay footage, and the method of release is being criticized.

Grand Theft Auto: Copyrights Photo: Rockstar/dpa

By Martin Seng

What didn't happen before the release of "GTA VI": Fascism made its global comeback, climate change continues to roll unchecked over fields and forests, and even Friedrich Merz managed to become chancellor after several attempts.

Now, barely two and a half months before its official release, the game threatens to reach the public prematurely. Under the pseudonym "Cyberleek," the first gameplay footage is being released — footage that was built up as a secret for years.

Whether an individual or a collective hides behind the name is unknown, yet "Cyberleek" dominates the internet. Front lines are forming, some condemning the early leaks, others celebrating them. Both sides have arguments.

A Cultural Event

In February 2022, when the pandemic was still fresh in people's minds, "GTA VI" was first officially announced. The first trailer at the end of 2023 broke previous records with nearly 300 million views. The development studio Rockstar Games curated the game so secretively that every new image sparked discussions on social media.

"GTA VI" cannot be compared to ordinary game releases. It is a cultural event like the Oscars, the Super Bowl, or the Eurovision Song Contest. Even the serious-minded public broadcasters Tagesschau and ZDFheute regularly post news about the game on Instagram.

Expectations are enormous on both sides:

• Players expect the next long-awaited milestone in video game development
• The studio anticipates billions in revenue

The first gameplay footage was actually supposed to be shown on Friday, August 28, in an exclusive special on Netflix. But since August 18, "Cyberleek" has been releasing the first gameplay footage online, cutting short one of the biggest media marketing strategies to date.

The Leaker's Demands

Alongside the first leak — which showed, among other things, one of the two main characters playing baseball — "Cyberleek" published a manifesto demanding that Rockstar Games stop offering digital pre-sales.

This revives an old debate: as physical media are increasingly being phased out, studios and companies are relying on the purely digital version. Since game content no longer appears on a physical disc and thus becomes the private property of the players, studios can restrict or ultimately deny digital access. "Cyberleek" spoke out against this new monopoly and threatened further leaks.

Details About the Game World

It didn't stop at rhetorical threats: In August, "Cyberleek" showed scenes almost daily, revealing details about the game world and the long-awaited, closely guarded storyline. The often short clips naturally spread quickly through social media, along with discussions about the face or faces behind the pseudonym.

Rumors place the supposedly lone actor in Germany, then again in the USA, declare him arrested, only to be contradicted by new leaks. The biggest leak so far: "Cyberleek" uses a character to shoot the pseudonym into a wall. The bullet holes form the word "LEEK." This shows that the person not only has a collection of videos but also a "build," i.e., a playable version of the title.

The suspicion of a large-scale PR stunt, overlaying the already exorbitant marketing machinery, is obvious. Only "GTA VI" would be capable of such a thing.