GTA 6 Release Date Could Be Impacted by Massive Leak

09/18/2022 02:00 pm EDT

It seems likely that the release date of Grand Theft Auto 6 will be impacted by the massive leak associated with the highly-anticipated open-world sandbox game. If you somehow didn't already hear, a substantial leak tied to GTA 6 began circling on the internet earlier today in the form of roughly 90 videos that showed off gameplay clips from an early version of the project. And while Rockstar itself hasn't commented publicly on this situation just yet, the leak coming about in the first place likely isn't a good thing for those hoping to play GTA 6 sooner rather than later.

The reason why the release date of GTA 6 could be impacted by this leak is because of the nature of this reveal. Based on what we currently know, the leak seems to have come about due to a successful hacking attempt that was directed at Rockstar Games. The person in question who claims to have been the one behind this hack has gone on to say that they have in their hands the source code for both GTA 6 and GTA 5. Assuming that this is true, it means that Rockstar has a pretty serious situation on its hands that will need to rectify quickly. Not only could this all lead to internal delays of the game, but Rockstar might also have to push back marketing and promotional plans as well. 

Based on what we've seen in the past, cyber attacks like this are never beneficial for video game studios and only lead to development moving more slowly. Last year, CD Projekt Red fell prey to a cyber attack that ended up delaying the studio's plans for future updates and DLC with Cyberpunk 2077. All the way back in 2003, Valve also had the source code for Half-Life 2 stolen which led to a lot of turmoil within the studio and eventual legal action against the hacker behind the theft. Assuming that these previous situations are reflective of what could be happening now at Rockstar, it seems feasible that GTA 6 could get pushed further out than once thought. 

It's obviously worth stressing that Rockstar Games itself has never announced any sort of release date or release window for GTA 6 in the first place. Based on previous rumors that have come about, though, it was said that a launch in either 2024 or 2025 could be likely. Whether or not GTA 6 will release in this window remains to be seen, but we'll be sure to keep you up to date with this ongoing situation. 

What do you think about this substantial leak associated with Rockstar Games and GTA 6? And do you believe this event will have an impact on when the next Grand Theft Auto game is going to release? Be sure to let me know what you think either down in the comments or message me on Twitter at @MooreMan12.

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