Rockstar Games 'GTA VI' Leak May Be Connected to Hacking Group Lapsus$

GTA fans have been prowling the internet for months now, hoping to hear any news of the upcoming GTA VI. As it's been almost a decade since GTA V was released, players have high hopes for the next installment in the popular franchise, which was only confirmed to be in development by Rockstar Games this year.

On Sept. 18, more than 90 photos and videos from the work in progress were leaked online, giving players their first look at the game since it was announced.

In a statement online, Rockstar confirmed the validity of the leak, admitting that the footage was stolen during a recent hack it had faced.

"At this time, we do not anticipate any disruption to our live game services nor any long-term effect on the development of our ongoing projects," the statement reads. "We are extremely disappointed to have any details of our next game shared with you all in this way."

But who hacked Rockstar Games and leaked the footage?

It seems the culprit behind the massive leak may be a 17-year-old based in London, though little about the hacker's identity is known at the time.

The FBI was reportedly conducting an investigation into the attack and had knowledge that it was done by someone who goes by the online alias "White" and is apparently a member of the known hacking group Lapsus$. The hacker's recent attack was also allegedly extended to Uber Technologies.

On the morning on Sept. 23, the City of London police tweeted that it had apprehended a 17-year-old "on suspicion of hacking, as part of an investigation supported by the... National Cyber Crime Unit (NCCU)."

Though the City of London police did not confirm that this arrest was made in relation to the hacking at Rockstar Games, journalist Matthew Keys later tweeted confirmation that the suspect was allegedly behind the GTA VI leak.

At this time, as the suspect is a minor, no information on their name or gender has been released. As the proceedings continue to move forward, it's likely more information on the hacker will come to light.

Lapsus$ is an internation cyber hacking group that's known best for its many attacks against large tech companies, most of which happened throughout 2022. Its previous cyber crimes have targeted other major companies like Microsoft, Samsung, and Nvidia, among many others.

In March 2022, the group is said to have stolen the source code for the Samsung Galaxy. Prior to this, it also threatened to leak the source code for some of Nvidia's highly sought after software. At the time, seven people were arrested in connection with the crimes.

Following these attacks, the group was believed to be inactive in April 2022, though its recent hits against Rockstar and Uber confirm that there are still members free. Little else is known of the group at this time.