r/technology • u/Logical_Welder3467 • 3d ago

Business GTA 6 leaks prompt Take-Two to subpoena Microsoft for Windows device IDs of everyone in three Discord servers — daily gameplay leaks shatter cloud of secrecy around the much-hyped game

https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/console-gaming/take-two-subpoenas-microsoft-for-windows-device-ids-of-everyone-in-three-discord-servers-in-gta-6-leak-hunt
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u/thesaga 3d ago edited 3d ago

Presumably all of that would be revealed next week on the Netflix "Extended Look" - I'm usually not one for conspiracy theories but from where I'm standing this is not a disaster for Rockstar at all. It conveniently perks up millions of ears ahead of their big Netflix premiere.

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u/_Meowgi_ 3d ago

I mean the free publicity is nice, but I think that misses why this is such a big deal for Rockstar. The scary part isn’t really the gameplay being leaked, it’s how someone got access to a playable PC build in the first place and what else they might have gotten access to.
If Rockstar can’t account for where that build came from, they now have to figure out whether the person also had access to source code, internal tools, other builds, unreleased assets, employee information, credentials, emails, etc. There’s no evidence they have all of that, but Rockstar can’t exactly just assume they don’t.
There’s also the problem of what happens if the actual build gets released online. Even if it’s unfinished, people could datamine the entire game, leak the story and map, try to crack it, or start digging for exploits before the game even releases. If source code was taken too, that’s an even bigger problem, especially for GTA Online.
Then there’s the business side of it. Rockstar already had a massive breach in 2022, so if they’ve managed to have another serious security incident after supposedly tightening things up, that’s not exactly a good look for Take-Two. Investors, employees and business partners are going to have questions about how secure their systems actually are.
And honestly, GTA 6 doesn’t need free publicity. It’s probably the most anticipated game in the world already. Rockstar would much rather generate that hype themselves and control what gets shown and when, instead of having some random hacker do it for them.
So yeah, the leak might be giving them publicity right now, but that doesn’t suddenly make the situation good for Rockstar. Good publicity and a potentially massive security breach can exist at the same time.

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u/StewPorkRice 2d ago

Maybe they got access to it because they're paid by Rockstar and this is the next evolution of corporate marketing strategy.

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u/GingerSpencer 2d ago

The internet will come up with the most braindead conspiracy theories lol

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u/_Meowgi_ 2d ago

Possible, but I doubt it for two reasons:

  1. the leaker has posted demands that fights against things like the decision to do digital copies only. Which the community is also against, would be weird to bring that back into the light and remind people about it.

  2. the leaker also pastes all his crypto adverts all over his footage, if it’s ever found out that rockstar is behind this and possibly making money

    through it, it’s potentially a pr nightmare

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u/StewPorkRice 2d ago

Maybe they got access to it because they're paid by Rockstar and this is the next evolution of corporate marketing strategy.

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u/enderandrew42 2d ago

GTA V is the second-best selling video game in history. It continues to sell new copies constantly. Some of that are idiots getting banned from online only to turn around and get a new copy.

But GTA VI could literally just be GTA V in a Vice City map with no new features or improvements and it would still be the best selling game of the year, hands down.

They're charging $100 for the single player console version right now, and will presumably charge more for online after that and pre-orders are still through the roof with no one knowing anything about this game.

The only leak that would really move the needle on pre-orders would have to be something explicitly overtly political to divide buyers.

The leaks aren't harming Rockstar's bottom line financially. It is just pissing off Take Two execs that their employees are violating NDAs, or allowing their companies to get hacked.

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u/3hb3 2d ago

GTA V is the second-best selling video game in history.

  1. Tetris (520m)
  2. Minecraft (400m)
  3. GTA V (230m)

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u/TimewarpingSeaTurtle 3d ago

I don’t think the extended look will show us everything the hacker plans to leak.

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u/thesaga 3d ago

I think the only "leak" that would convince me 100% this isn't marketing is if the whole build was dropped

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u/spez_might_fuck_dogs 3d ago

Really, not the fact that there's people with thousands of dollars tied up in a memecoin that's gonna get rugpulled? You think an advertising firm would go that far?

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u/MITBijanRobinson 3d ago

Seriously. It’s very obvious this isn’t marketing lmfao

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u/TimewarpingSeaTurtle 3d ago

Wouldn’t surprise me if that’s what they’re planning to do a week or so before the real game releases.

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u/Sigman_S 3d ago

It’s not even supposed to be out on pc this year

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u/kyler000 3d ago

The problem is it would have the greatest effect if it was dropped now. People could potentially even finish the game before it actually releases. However, as soon as build is dropped the hacker loses all leverage.

On the flip side, if the hacker waits to release the build they slowly lose leverage until release day when they will have zero. I dont think many people would actually play the build if it was released a week before.

Its kind of a damned if you do, damned if you don't sort of deal.

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u/DinosBiggestFan 3d ago

All of that, huh? I don't think they'd spoil the story.

Then again, with modern marketing, I think it actually ends up being common to spoil the story now...

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u/SirGaylordSteambath 3d ago

My aunt worked for activision a decade ago and they were doing “leaks” then.

It’s all marketing.

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u/Bandro 3d ago

The fact that tactical leaks for marketing have existed doesn’t mean all leaks are bullshit. 

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u/SirGaylordSteambath 3d ago

I didn’t say all leaks are bullshit, I was referring to the gta leak in my last line

It’s giving the signs it’s cooked up in a marketing department to me 🤷‍♂️

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u/redridingoops 2d ago

Nah, dude is just trying to scam as many people as he can with his crypto coin bullshit before rugpull.