Alleged GTA 6 Hacker Under Investigation By The FBI
Alleged GTA 6 Hacker Under Investigation By The FBI
BY
CONNOR TRINSKE
PUBLISHED 2 DAYS AGO
The hacker who claimed responsibility for the huge leak of Grand Theft Auto 6 is now being investigated by the FBI in connection with other attacks.
GTA 6 Leaks FBI Investigating Hacker
The unprecedented leak of Grand Theft Auto 6 is now under investigation by the FBI, and it's targeting the hacker who claimed responsibility. Over 90 videos of GTA 6 gameplay footage and screenshots made their way online last weekend, primarily via the GTAForums. The footage shown in those leaks lined up with previous reports surrounding Rockstar's next game, which is said to feature a Bonnie and Clyde-inspired playable duo and be set in Vice City.
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With over an hour of developer gameplay footage spread across 90 different videos, the GTA 6 leak is one of the biggest leaks in the history of the video game industry. On September 18, a .zip file containing all the material was first posted to GTAForums by a user calling themselves "teapotuberhacker", who claimed they were responsible for the hack and that they could leak more data including source code and assets. The next day, Rockstar Games verified the GTA 6 leak and expressed its extreme disappointment with the situation, but stated that development would continue unaffected. Some of the most significant information to come out of the leak included the confirmation of male and female protagonists, as well as a return to the setting of Vice City.
RELATED:
Leaks Like GTA 6'S Are Bad For Fans (& Worse For Games)
As reported by Eurogamer, the cyberattack resulting in the GTA 6 leak has even drawn the attention of law enforcement. The FBI is now investigating the hacker who claimed to be responsible for the network intrusion at Rockstar Games and another major hack at rideshare company Uber. According to a blog post from Uber, the GTA 6 video leak and the breach of Uber's systems are believed to have been perpetrated by the same hacker. The company says it is now working closely with the FBI and the US Department of Justice as they track down the hacker and their organization.
GTA 6 Leaks May Have Been Perpetrated By A Hacking Group
Multiple reports (including those from Uber itself) have indicated that the GTA 6 leaker is affiliated with the hacker collective known as Lapsus$. The group has committed a number of different cyberattacks on big tech companies over the course of the past year, seemingly aiming for notoriety over financial gain. Back in March of 2022, Lapsus$ stole source code from Samsung after hacking Nvidia just a few days earlier. A handful of the group's members were ultimately arrested as a result, ranging from 16 to 21 years old. However, it's evident that the organization is still active.
Despite the wealth of information on GTA 6's gameplay, characters, and story and the firestorm of new speculation resulting from the hack, leaks like this do a serious disservice to the developers of any game. Having their unfinished work exposed and judged long before it's ready is deeply unfair, even for one of the most anticipated titles in the industry. Rockstar had promised more info on Grand Theft Auto 6 in the not-too-distant future, but now that eventual reveal will be tainted by this massive leak.
BY
CONNOR TRINSKE
PUBLISHED 2 DAYS AGO
The hacker who claimed responsibility for the huge leak of Grand Theft Auto 6 is now being investigated by the FBI in connection with other attacks.
GTA 6 Leaks FBI Investigating Hacker
The unprecedented leak of Grand Theft Auto 6 is now under investigation by the FBI, and it's targeting the hacker who claimed responsibility. Over 90 videos of GTA 6 gameplay footage and screenshots made their way online last weekend, primarily via the GTAForums. The footage shown in those leaks lined up with previous reports surrounding Rockstar's next game, which is said to feature a Bonnie and Clyde-inspired playable duo and be set in Vice City.
SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY
Close
With over an hour of developer gameplay footage spread across 90 different videos, the GTA 6 leak is one of the biggest leaks in the history of the video game industry. On September 18, a .zip file containing all the material was first posted to GTAForums by a user calling themselves "teapotuberhacker", who claimed they were responsible for the hack and that they could leak more data including source code and assets. The next day, Rockstar Games verified the GTA 6 leak and expressed its extreme disappointment with the situation, but stated that development would continue unaffected. Some of the most significant information to come out of the leak included the confirmation of male and female protagonists, as well as a return to the setting of Vice City.
RELATED:
Leaks Like GTA 6'S Are Bad For Fans (& Worse For Games)
As reported by Eurogamer, the cyberattack resulting in the GTA 6 leak has even drawn the attention of law enforcement. The FBI is now investigating the hacker who claimed to be responsible for the network intrusion at Rockstar Games and another major hack at rideshare company Uber. According to a blog post from Uber, the GTA 6 video leak and the breach of Uber's systems are believed to have been perpetrated by the same hacker. The company says it is now working closely with the FBI and the US Department of Justice as they track down the hacker and their organization.
GTA 6 Leaks May Have Been Perpetrated By A Hacking Group
Multiple reports (including those from Uber itself) have indicated that the GTA 6 leaker is affiliated with the hacker collective known as Lapsus$. The group has committed a number of different cyberattacks on big tech companies over the course of the past year, seemingly aiming for notoriety over financial gain. Back in March of 2022, Lapsus$ stole source code from Samsung after hacking Nvidia just a few days earlier. A handful of the group's members were ultimately arrested as a result, ranging from 16 to 21 years old. However, it's evident that the organization is still active.
Despite the wealth of information on GTA 6's gameplay, characters, and story and the firestorm of new speculation resulting from the hack, leaks like this do a serious disservice to the developers of any game. Having their unfinished work exposed and judged long before it's ready is deeply unfair, even for one of the most anticipated titles in the industry. Rockstar had promised more info on Grand Theft Auto 6 in the not-too-distant future, but now that eventual reveal will be tainted by this massive leak.
