By now, you’re probably aware of the massive GTA 6 leak. Images, gameplay footage, and more of the unreleased title are bouncing around online — literally years before it comes out. It’s probably the biggest leak in video game history by a considerable margin.
Developer Rockstar is, sufficed to say, extremely disappointed about it. Partially because what little video of GTA 6 is bouncing about the internet is exceptionally rough, with many mocking how it looks. It must be deeply frustrating for Rockstar employees. Imagine carefully preparing a holiday roast, and after sticking it in the oven – someone immediately pulls it out while complaining that it’s not ready. That’s what Rockstar is going through, except it’s a sequel to one of the most profitable entertainment properties ever.
It’s terrible news for everyone involved. As such, many games industry peers and fans are sounding off about the whole mess on Twitter. We’ve gathered the best reactions below.
Fellow developers expressed sympathy
Sarah Bond, corporate vice president of Xbox.
My thoughts are with the team at @RockstarGames 💚It can be disheartening to have a project you've worked hard on to delight fans revealed and critiqued before it’s ready. I know they’re creating something special and can’t wait to experience GTA6 when it's officially unveiled.
— BondSarahBond🎮 (@BondSarah_Bond) September 18, 2022
Neil Druckmann, co-president of Naughty Dog (Uncharted, The Last of Us).
To my fellow devs out there affected by the latest leak, know that while it feels overwhelming right now, it’ll pass. One day we’ll be playing your game, appreciating your craft, and the leaks will be relegated to a footnote on a Wikipedia page. Keep pushing. Keep making art. ♥️
— Neil Druckmann (@Neil_Druckmann) September 18, 2022
Brian Horton, creative director of Insomniac Games (Infamous, Marvel’s Spider-Man).
Leaks aren't cool, or funny. Game devs work hard to make the best possible experiences, and we want everyone to enjoy them as intended. Wishing the world class devs at Rockstar support, can't wait to play your next masterpiece. https://t.co/zJrFMeTYek
— Brian Horton (@BrianHortonArt) September 19, 2022
Pawel Sasko, quest designer at CD Projekt Red (The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Cyberpunk 2077).
Dread to think what the Rockstar team is going through right now. Years of work are now being shredded, torn apart, analized, misunderstood, taken out of context, and memed. A destructive cycle games industry knows way too well. Help to make it better and don't engage with leaks.
— Paweł Sasko (@PaweSasko) September 18, 2022
Streamers insisted fans should reign it in
GTA 6 leak initially made me excited because I liked what I saw. Was dampened when people pointed out this steals the hype from the official trailer. Became just sad learning about the potential negative implications for the devs and game, especially with the source code leak 😢
— DarkViperAU (@DarkViperAU) September 18, 2022
The GTA 6 leaks may very well be the worst leak in gaming history. If you think this is cause for celebration, understand that the hacker who perpetrated this has made the lives of developers a living nightmare and this incident will single handedly delay the long awaited game.
— YongYea (@YongYea) September 18, 2022
The GTA 6 Leak proves that gamers have no idea about how game development works whatsoever ☠️
These homies are complaining that the game looks unfinished when it literally is…
— Lex 🇺🇦 (@MrTLexify) September 18, 2022
Journalists reflected on the repercussions
I feel like all leak discourse’s problems could be solved if we didn’t have such secretive culture on things that are in development.
When I see a movie set being shot by some dude with a phone camera, I don’t go “Wow I thought they were going to use REAL cameras”
— Imran Khan (@imranzomg) September 19, 2022
this GTA 6 leak might be the biggest leak in gaming history, holy shit. but it's important to keep in mind the artists from rockstar are the ones that hurt the most; their unfinished work is now public before they got a chance to share it when it's ready. that sucks big time
— Elise Favis (@elisefavis) September 18, 2022
To those who asked: There are several reasons this is a nightmare for Rockstar. One is that it'll disrupt work for a while. Another is that it may lead management to limit work-from-home flexibility. The repercussions of this leak might not be clear for quite a while
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) September 18, 2022
Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF.
