Take-Two Interactive Launches Legal Offensive Against ‘Grand Theft Auto VI’ Leakers

The parent company of Rockstar Games has subpoenaed Microsoft and Discord in an effort to identify those responsible for spreading unauthorized footage of the highly anticipated title.

In a decisive move to curb the unauthorized distribution of proprietary content, Take-Two Interactive has officially subpoenaed Microsoft and Discord. The legal filings, submitted this past Thursday, seek to obtain records that could help the company identify the individuals behind recent GTA VI leaks that have circulated online.

According to the documents, Take-Two is demanding that both tech giants produce information relating to the “alleged infringers” by September 4th. The publisher asserts that the leaked material—which encompasses “audiovisual content, artwork, images, dialogue, or other creative elements”—directly violates the copyrights held by Rockstar Games.

A Trail of Watermarked Evidence

The leaked footage, which began appearing on social media and gaming forums recently, has been traced back to a source or entity identifying themselves as “CyberLeek.” The clips provide a rare, albeit unauthorized, look at gameplay mechanics for the upcoming blockbuster.

Viewers have identified what appears to be Jason Duval, one of the game’s two protagonists, engaging in various open-world activities. The leaked videos depict the character driving vehicles, piloting an airplane, deploying a taser, and engaging in physical combat. In a particularly brazen display, the uploader even featured a clip where the player spells out “LEEK” by firing a weapon at a wall.

Corporate Collaboration

While both Microsoft and Discord have remained largely silent regarding the specific legal request, the industry is aligning to prevent further dissemination of the stolen assets. Scott Van Vliet, CTO of Xbox, addressed the situation on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “We are working closely with Take-Two and Rockstar Games to support efforts to protect creative works and intellectual property.”

The Road to Release

The timing of these leaks is particularly sensitive for Rockstar Games. The developer is currently building momentum toward a major promotional event: an extended preview of the game is scheduled to debut on Netflix on August 27th.

Despite the disruption caused by the leaks, the official roadmap for the title remains unchanged. Grand Theft Auto VI is currently slated for a worldwide launch on November 19th. As the release date approaches, Take-Two’s aggressive legal posture signals that the company is prepared to utilize every available resource to safeguard its intellectual property from further compromise.