Take-Two Interactive Launches Legal Pursuit Against ‘GTA 6’ Leakers via Microsoft and Discord Subpoenas

In a decisive move to protect its most anticipated title, Take-Two Interactive—the parent company of Rockstar Games—has escalated its battle against ongoing security breaches. On Thursday, the company filed requests in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York seeking federal subpoenas to compel Microsoft and Discord to disclose information regarding the individuals behind recent leaks of Grand Theft Auto 6 gameplay footage.

The move comes as the gaming giant faces an aggressive campaign by a hacker group identifying itself as "CyberLeek." The group claims to have obtained a playable build of the highly anticipated open-world epic and has been systematically circulating video clips across various online platforms.

Targeting the Source of the Leak

The legal filings, grounded in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), aim to "identify alleged infringers" by unmasking the account holders responsible for the distribution of the stolen intellectual property. According to the court documents, the protected material includes unauthorized audiovisual content, artwork, character dialogue, and other proprietary creative elements.

Take-Two’s filings specifically highlight two primary venues for the leaks:

• Microsoft: The subpoena alleges that copyrighted GTA 6 materials were disseminated via the company’s GitHub developer platform.
• Discord: Take-Two asserts that multiple accounts on the platform’s servers have been used to propagate the leaked content.

A spokesperson for Discord acknowledged the situation, stating, "Discord sometimes receives subpoenas related to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). We review and comply with valid subpoenas when we receive them, as is standard and routine for companies like ours." Microsoft has yet to issue a formal comment regarding the pending legal action.

High Stakes Ahead of November Launch

The timing of these leaks is particularly sensitive. With GTA 6 scheduled for a global release on November 19 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S and X consoles, the leaks threaten to disrupt the meticulously planned marketing rollout.

Rockstar Games has maintained a stoic silence regarding the authenticity of the leaked footage, opting to let the legal process play out rather than confirming the validity of the stolen materials.

Despite the technical turbulence, commercial enthusiasm remains at an all-time high. During an earnings call held on August 7, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick reported an "exceptional start to preorders," noting that sales activity was robust even within the first five days of availability.

The company is currently looking forward to an official promotional milestone: Netflix is set to debut an exclusive "extended look" at the game on August 27, which will later be hosted on YouTube and other official channels. As Take-Two works to identify those behind the CyberLeek campaign, the industry remains on high alert, watching to see if these subpoenas will provide the breakthrough needed to stem the tide of leaks before the game hits store shelves this November.