GTA 6 Footage and Map Leak Online, Rockstar Fires Back With Takedowns

Apparent Grand Theft Auto VI gameplay footage and a map leaked online on August 18, prompting Rockstar Games to issue DMCA takedown requests — the legal mechanism a copyright holder uses to have content removed from websites and platforms.

The leaker, who goes by the name Cyberleek, shared roughly two clips of in-game footage. The first, about a minute long, shows co-lead character Jason playing basketball at home, with a modified heads-up display and a tutorial covering the minigame's controls. The second clip shows Jason driving, crashing into other vehicles, angering a delivery driver who challenges him to a fight, and engaging the game's combat engine — with the aftermath attracting police. The footage also showcases water graphics and optional leisure activities for both Jason and his partner Lucia (GameSpot, Polygon).

A map of the game's Leonida setting was also part of the leak, though it is unclear whether it originated from Rockstar or was a fan creation.

Cyberleek did not stop at footage. Alongside the leak, the group issued three "commandments" directed at Rockstar and other game publishers: no selling digital preorders, no selling what they called fake single-player DLC (downloadable content — additional game material sold separately after release), and the preservation of single-player content. The commandments were shared on social media with a warning that "These commandments are the floor–not the ceiling–of what is acceptable," and a threat of additional leaks against publishers who violate them (GameSpot).

The leak lands weeks before Rockstar's planned marketing push. GTA 6 is scheduled to receive an extended showcase on Netflix debuting August 27. The game itself is set for release on November 19 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S (GameSpot).

For fans, the clips offer an unpolished, unsanctioned glimpse at a game whose every official trailer has been dissected frame by frame. The footage appears to be from a development build — the modified interface elements and tutorial prompts suggest work-in-progress rather than a finished product. Whether the leak shifts Rockstar's marketing timeline is unknown; the publisher has so far responded only through takedown requests, not public comment.

What makes the leak unusual is the political framing wrapped around it. Cyberleek is not simply sharing early looks — the group is tying that access to demands about how publishers sell and structure their games. It is a familiar tension in games: players frustrated with digital storefronts and post-launch monetisation, using leverage — in this case, leaked material — to push for changes publishers have no obligation to make.

Rockstar's parent company, Take-Two Interactive, has not commented beyond the takedown actions.