Just hours before Rockstar Games offers fans an extended look at Grand Theft Auto VI, it released its first statement on parts of the game leaking across social media, calling it "heartbreaking".
"While it is unfortunate that the intended game experience may now be impacted by some spoilers, we hope that everyone will wait a bit longer to experience the game for themselves on November 19," Rockstar wrote in an X post on Wednesday, while also trying to build hype for the extended look premiere, amid the crisis.
While Netflix viewers get to stream it at 3 PM ET on August 27 (12:30 AM IST on August 28), those watching on YouTube and the Rockstar Games website will only get to watch it at 9 PM ET on August 27 (6:30 AM IST on August 28).
This comes as a number of clips (about 13-20) from the hotly anticipated game have been leaked across social media by Cyberleek, a person/group that has called out the gaming giant for what it calls unfair anti-consumerist practices, and has warned such leaks in the future as well, if this continues.
While THE WEEK could not independently verify all the leaked clips, Rockstar and its parent Take-Two's rush to contain the crisis indicate that at least some of the clips are from GTA 6, which Cyberleek has reportedly finished playing.
Here are six leaks that you need to know of, which contain possible plot spoilers as well:
Jason's basketball clip
This minute-long clip showed one of the game's two protagonists, Jason Duval, shooting hoops outside the oceanside house that Rockstar has revealed before. It also shows a Focus meter, with each correct basket boosting his Focus level, as shown on the HUD.
Lucia's baby
This long clip is one of the newest leaks, which purportedly shows the other of the game's central duo, Lucia, who has a baby that she abandons at a diner before heading out to a bank robbery. However, she is then arrested for it.
Jason's plane ride
By far one of the biggest and most revealing of the clips posted by Cyberleek shows Jason flying over the city in a plane, offering a look at key locations and also scrolling through various radio stations to give you an idea of what the soundtrack could be like.
However, the most important part of this clip is when Jason shoots bullets into a wall to spell 'LEEK' using the marks on the wall, which was the first sign that Cyberleek could be having a playable version of the game, rather than just clips from Rockstar.
NSFW clips
Apart from clips of a neon-light-filled stripclub—which has long been a part of the Grand Theft Auto franchise and which reveal more of the GTA 6 soundtrack—you also get glimpses of a nudist colony, from where a woman attacks Jason for staring at her.
The map of Leonida
One of the most hyped leaks was a purported map of Leonida, the game's fictional location based on Florida. However, fans later disputed whether the Leonida map was really a leak, with some claiming that it could also have been stitched together from GTA 6 promo material over the years.
New weapons and actions
A clip showing Jason breaking into a facility also seems to show him using a taser, which would be a new type of weapon if it remains in the final version of the game. It also seems to show some unique abilities for Jason, such as cloning keys or smashing windows when near vehicles. Vehicle health and fuel status can also be seen.
