GTA 6 Source Code Stolen, Claims Jailed Rockstar Hacker

The source code for Grand Theft Auto 6 may have been stolen in a hack, according to a claim by the person responsible for one of the largest asset leaks ever. In 2022, hacker Arion Kurtaj leaked 90 in-development videos of GTA 6, providing an unprecedented look at a game that was, at the time, lacking even a trailer. Kurtaj is currently serving an indefinite hospital order, being deemed unfit for trial, and will remain in custody unless he’s proven to no longer be a danger given his stated intentions to continue hacking.

Over three years after his infamous leak, Kurtaj has now allegedly contacted others regarding hacked Grand Theft Auto 6 material. WhatsApp messages appear to show Kurtaj discussing yet more material stolen from Rockstar Games which has not yet been leaked to the public, per transcripts from Rockstar fan account @videotechuk_. The messages imply some version of GTA 6 was “definitely” stolen from Rockstar. Kurtaj then asks, “Did the source code not get leaked?” suggesting the files were taken in a hack.

Hacker Arion Kurtaj Implies GTA 6 Source Code May Leak

Kurtaj was a prolific member of cyber-crime gang Lapsus$, which also successfully targeted Uber and Nvidia around the same time as the GTA 6 leak. Shortly after the videos were released, Kurtaj was arrested, then subsequently placed into his current indefinite hospital stay due to his autism. A phone has allegedly been smuggled to Kurtaj, resulting in the above messages.

Kurtaj threatened to release source code shortly after his initial GTA 6 leak, but what leaked roughly a year later was the source code for Grand Theft Auto 5. Given the limited communication available, the rest of the situation is unclear. Kurtaj seems to believe someone – likely a fellow hacker – was holding onto the GTA 6 source code. Whether that’s the case, and whether Rockstar has dealt with it sans public comment, remains to be seen.

Kurtaj Is Responsible For One Of The Biggest Leaks In Gaming History

A GTA VI character sits on the front of a power boat

While the possibility of a GTA 6 source code leak is, at this point, essentially hearsay, the assumption on Kurtaj’s part that the leak would have happened already is still notable. He had threatened to release the source code for both GTA 5 and 6. Only the latter has failed to surface thus far. The hacker claiming to have the source code a few years ago, and now seemingly asking about its leak at least lines up.

Kurtaj was just 17 years old when he committed what is considered the largest leak of in-development gameplay footage ever. It did damage to GTA 6‘s production that’s not practically quantifiable, and likely caused serious changes in workflow at Rockstar. Even after the game received its two trailers, GTA 6 leaks haven’t stopped, though they haven’t been nearly as impactful as that original file dump. Now there are more rumblings that the Grand Theft Auto 6 source code is out there somewhere, but it’s out of even Kurtaj’s hands at this point.