Key Takeaways
- Rockstar Games released an official statement about the GTA 6 leaks, underlining their commitment to finishing the game as planned.
- The Nov. 19 digital-only release date for GTA 6 remains unchanged, with details on pricing provided.
- An extended look at the game will be revealed in a Netflix stream, offering more about the characters and gameplay.
Rockstar Games is finally speaking out about the nonstop leaks plaguing its upcoming open-world juggernaut Grand Theft Auto VI, and according to the developer, watching so much of the game surface online has been nothing short of “heartbreaking for the team.”
On Wednesday (Aug. 26), the company released a lengthy statement addressing the controversy after a hacking group called CyberLeek posted footage from what appeared to be a GTA VI test build. “We know that many of you have been waiting to hear from us regarding the events of the past week,” Rockstar began.
“It would be an understatement to say that having videos of Grand Theft Auto VI gameplay leak in this way has been heartbreaking for our team, and this is obviously not how we intended for you to see the game after all this time,” the post continued. “We are very sorry that everything has taken as long as it has — from getting the game finished (nearly there!) to sharing more details and official gameplay, and providing the community with everything you want to know.”
Despite the less-than-ideal circumstances, Rockstar said it’s nonetheless “very excited” for GTA fans to see the extended look on Thursday (Aug. 27) at 3 p.m. ET. As part of its partnership with Netflix, the streaming platform will premiere what should hopefully be brand-new gameplay footage and give us a better sense of what to expect from protagonists Jason and Lucia. The extended look will then launch on Rockstar's official YouTube channel and GTA VI website at 9 p.m. ET that same day.
See the rest of the statement below, then scroll for more information on Grand Theft Auto VI.
What to know about GTA VI’s release date, price, and digital-only launch
One thing players don’t have to stress over — at least for the moment — is another delay, with Rockstar confirming it’s still on track for its intended release date. “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 Nov. 19,” the company wrote.
While the leaks are certainly troublesome for the studio, they’re maybe not all that surprising given the game’s lengthy development cycle and how much anticipation has built since GTA V first dropped in 2013. Only adding fuel to the frustration are the base game’s $80 price tag (or $100 for the Ultimate Edition), making it one of the most expensive AAA releases to date, and Rockstar’s decision to go digital-only, at least ahead of launch.
Regardless of what comes next, we, along with plenty of others, are really excited to see what Rockstar manages to pull off, especially now that it’s no longer being held back by last-gen consoles. That, and hopefully the company can also get the leaks under control before anything else comes out!