Rockstar Games parent company Take-Two Interactive has launched a major legal effort to identify whoever is behind the CyberLeek persona following a severe GTA 6 leak this August. The move comes more than two years after Rockstar ordered developers back to the office, with security among the reasons cited for the controversial decision.
For starters, this entire ordeal follows Rockstar's long-running battle with leaks surrounding its biggest game. In 2024, Rockstar management ordered its developers back to the office full-time, reportedly citing productivity and security concerns following previous leaks. The latest unauthorised footage shows that the return-to-office policy has not eliminated the threat of leaks surrounding GTA 6.
The latest drama began in mid-August, when Cyberleek started publishing fresh, unseen gameplay footage on various platforms. While the leaked clips avoided massive story spoilers, the footage appeared to show several gameplay elements, while CyberLeek also published what it claimed was a map of the upcoming game.
Take-Two Interactive quickly escalated the situation by seeking Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) subpoenas for records from tech giants Microsoft and Discord. The publisher is demanding internal business records to help identify the person or people allegedly operating behind the CyberLeek persona.
The legal filings specifically target accounts and online activity allegedly connected to the unauthorised Grand Theft Auto 6 material. Take-Two said in its filings that it wants the information to 'obtain the identity of an alleged infringer or infringers' and protect its rights.
The parent company's efforts have coincided with some CyberLeek channels disappearing from the web. By 22 August, reports indicated that the primary CyberLeek website was no longer accessible, while its Telegram channel displayed a message saying: 'This channel is unavailable due to copyright infringement.'
CyberLeek has also attempted to monetise the attention surrounding the leaks through cryptocurrency. Reports say the persona has solicited cryptocurrency while releasing footage and has offered advertising and custom gameplay content in exchange for Monero.
However, there is no evidence that the cryptocurrency activity itself amounts to fraud, and the identity of whoever controls CyberLeek remains unknown.
According to previous reporting, Rockstar developers had already criticised the return-to-office mandate introduced in 2024. The Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain said at the time that some employees were concerned about losing remote-working arrangements and disputed Rockstar's reasoning for the policy.
The latest leak does not establish how CyberLeek obtained the footage, meaning there is currently no evidence that Rockstar's return-to-office policy directly failed to prevent this particular breach.
Despite Take-Two taking legal action and some of CyberLeek's main outlets disappearing, the digital leaks have not entirely evaporated from the internet. Small snippets of footage have continued to circulate across social media and other online platforms.
Take-Two's subpoenas demonstrate how far the publisher is prepared to go to identify those allegedly responsible. The Microsoft request reportedly seeks information including account details, registration and login IP addresses, phone numbers, linked services and certain device identifiers.
The Discord request also seeks identifying information connected to accounts and servers that Take-Two believes could help trace the source or distribution of the leaked material. Both companies have been given until 4 September to comply with the requests.
Nothing has been publicly confirmed about the true identity or identities behind CyberLeek. Nor has it been established publicly how the footage was obtained or whether the persona actually possesses the playable build it claims to have.
For fans, the sheer volume of leaked material has been difficult to avoid, creating a fractured rollout for one of gaming's most anticipated releases just months before launch.
