ROCKSTAR GAMES HAS said it has been “heartbreaking” to see footage from the hugely anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI leaked online, as the developer prepares to give fans an extended official look at the game on Thursday.

In its first public response to a major leak which has seen gameplay footage and details from the unreleased title spread across the internet, Rockstar said the material was “obviously not how we intended for you to see the game after all this time”.

“We know that many of you have been waiting to hear from us regarding the events of the past week,” the gaming company said in a statement today.

“It would be an understatement to say that having videos of Grand Theft Auto VI gameplay leak in this way has been heartbreaking for our team.”

Rockstar also acknowledged the extraordinarily long wait for the game, apologising that “everything has taken as long as it has”, from completing development to showing official gameplay.

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— Rockstar Games (@RockstarGames) August 26, 2026

There was, however, a potentially significant update buried in that apology: the company described the game as “nearly there”.

GTA VI is currently scheduled to be released on 19 November, having previously been delayed from an initial autumn 2025 release window and then again from May of this year.

Rockstar said it was “very excited” for players to see an extended look at the game tomorrow, adding that it was determined to “exceed” expectations.

“While it is unfortunate that the intended game experience may now be impacted by some spoilers, we hope that everyone will wait a bit longer to experience the game for themselves on November 19,” it said.

GTA VI anticipation

Calling GTA VI highly anticipated may be something of an understatement. It’s been almost 13 years since Grand Theft Auto V was first released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in September 2013.

That game went on to become one of the most commercially successful video games ever made, selling almost 230 million copies and generating billions in revenue.

Rockstar did release Red Dead Redemption 2 in the intervening years, but it was not until February 2022 that the developer officially confirmed it was working on the next GTA installment.

The first trailer eventually arrived in December 2023 and the level of interest has hardly subsided since. GTA VI’s two official trailers have attracted close to half a billion views between them.

Estimates have also put the game’s development costs above $1 billion (€857.5 million), which would make it one of the most expensive video games ever produced.

Set in the fictional state of Leonida, Rockstar’s take on Florida, the game will return players to Vice City and centre on two protagonists, Lucia and Jason.

It will be released for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, with no PC release date yet announced.

The series, and the developers at Rockstar, have also courted controversy almost from the beginning.

Since the original Grand Theft Auto was released in 1997, the games have allowed players to steal cars, commit crimes and clash with police while exploring their fictional cities, prompting repeated criticism over violence and their influence on younger players.

That controversy has, to some extent, become part of GTA’s identity. The first game’s launch prompted political criticism in Britain, including warnings in the House of Lords over fears it could glamorise car crime and joyriding.

In 2007, another Rockstar video game titled ‘Manhunt 2′ became the first and only video game to be officially banned in Ireland, with the Irish Film Classification Office citing what it called “gross, unrelenting and gratuitous violence”.

Previous leaks

The latest leak is particularly painful for Rockstar because it is not the first time the famously secretive developer has lost control of the unveiling of GTA VI.

In September 2022, more than a year before its first trailer was released, dozens of videos showing unfinished development footage appeared online following a hack.

The latest leak appears to be considerably closer to the finished product.

Gameplay clips and footage from cinematics began circulating online last week, alongside material purporting to show the game’s map.

Copies have subsequently been removed from platforms including X and Reddit following copyright claims.

A screenshot from the game. Rockstar Rockstar

The person or group behind the leaks, calling itself Cyberleek, has portrayed its actions as a protest against what it describes as anti-consumer practices in the games industry, including the move towards digital-only releases (i.e. no in-store disc releases).

The account has also solicited cryptocurrency donations while releasing material.

Rockstar’s parent company, Take-Two Interactive, has meanwhile begun legal efforts in the US seeking information relating to accounts involved in sharing the leaked material.

In today’s statement, Rockstar thanked fans who had expressed support for the developers working on the game.

“Your words have meant more to this team than you can imagine,” it said.

“Ultimately, we are making this game for you, and without you, we would not have the privilege of making games.”

Despite the leak, Rockstar’s release date remains unchanged, with GTA VI due to arrive on 19 November.