Hacker releases early footage of Grand Theft Auto VI | Ents & Arts News

A hacker has leaked early footage of Grand Theft Auto VI, the next installment in the popular video game.

The leak, which includes dozens of videos showing robberies, shootings and open-world driving, was posted to an online message board.

Rockstar Games, the studio behind the game, said on Twitter Monday: “We recently suffered a network breach where an unauthorized third party illegally accessed and downloaded confidential information from our systems, including early development material for the next Grand Theft Auto .

“At this point in time, we do not anticipate any disruption to our live game services, nor any long-term impact on the development of our ongoing projects.

“We are very disappointed to have shared with you all the details of our next game in this way.

“Our work on the next Grand Theft Auto game continues as planned, and we remain committed as ever to providing you, our players, with an experience that truly exceeds your expectations.

“We’ll be bringing everyone back up to speed soon, and of course, we’ll be giving you a proper introduction to this next game when it’s ready.

“We would like to thank everyone for their continued support during this situation.”

“PR Disaster”

Shares in Take-Two, owner of Rockstar Games, fell more than 3.8% as the company reportedly began issuing footage takedown notices and links to footage for a number of websites.

The hacker, who claimed to be behind a cyber incident at Uber last week, said on a web forum that he wanted to “negotiate a deal” with Take-Two, without giving further details.

Analysts Jefferies described the hack as a “PR disaster,” adding in a client note that it “potentially resets production and hurts morale.”

But the hacker could pose an even bigger threat, they said, adding: “If the source code leaks, it could require significant changes under the hood of the game to ensure its stability and the server integrity of GTA VI Online after launch.”

And the stakes are high – according to Bank of America Global Research, Grand Theft Auto VI will book an estimated $3.5 billion (£3bn) at launch and an annual average of $2bn (£1.75bn) thereafter.