Rockstar Games was preparing for the official launch of their highly anticipated GTA 6 when less than 24 hours ahead of the official launch, the trailer was leaked online. The company took matters into its own hands by releasing the official trailer on its official YouTube account to shift the narrative away from the leaks.
On December 1, Rockstar announced that the Trailer 1 of GTA 6 would be dropping on December 5, 9 AM EST. On December 4, 5:30 PM EST, the trailer was leaked online by a user on ‘X’ and instantly went viral with it. As the leak was spreading all around the internet, fans were puzzled whether this new leak was real or not.
Watch Trailer 1 on YouTube
Tuesday, December 5 at 9AM EThttps://t.co/RUm0ZIuFae https://t.co/7HXtWEfCkg— Rockstar Games (@RockstarGames) December 4, 2023
Around 6:00 PM EST, the video was deleted, and the account was suspended by ‘X’ by a copyright claim from Rockstar Games. To shift the discussion surrounding the release, Rockstar moved ahead and released the official trailer themselves by admitting the leak on their social media accounts.
Our trailer has leaked so please watch the real thing on YouTube: https://t.co/T0QOBDHwBe
— Rockstar Games (@RockstarGames) December 4, 2023
The official account of Rockstar Games tweeted: “Our trailer has leaked, so please watch the real thing on YouTube.” The release was welcomed by fans of the GTA series while condemning the earlier leaks. The general argument from the fans was around the fact that people inside Rockstar work hard for this game, and the community should value their work by not leaking sensitive information ahead of time.
Comments like “I’m so sorry but thank you,” “The leaker will NOT be respawning in the hospital,” “That leaker got 5 stars IRL,” “Terrible thing to happen,” and “I know y’all got bro in the back of a van,” echoed the sentiments of the fans who appreciated the response from the gaming company.
TikTok’s user leaked GTA 6 gameplay footage
The trailer was the second leak that Rockstar has suffered in the space of a few days. On December 3, social media was buzzing when a TikTok user, @azzarossi, leaked actual gameplay footage and details from the maps of the game. Unlike the trailer, these leaks weren’t confirmed by Rockstar, but it has been reported that the user was related to one of the employees of the company.
BREAKING: Alleged Leak of GTA 6 Map Surfaces on TikTok
A video circulating on TikTok has sparked speculation about a potential leak of the GTA 6 map.
The alleged connection to Aaron Garbutt, the head of development at Rockstar North, adds an intriguing layer to the unfolding… pic.twitter.com/CDil4zaQDL
— GTAInsider (@gtainsider_) December 2, 2023
The footage showcased a rich urban landscape, which prompted speculation that the game is returning to Vice City. It is also revealed that GTA 6 will feature three separate cities and will be twice the size of Los Santos. Eagle-eyed fans noticed the developer’s notes in the footage which added more weight to the legitimacy of the leaks.
The impact of these leaks has been two-fold as the share price of Take-Two Interactive was also hit by these leaks. However, the hype behind the game has only increased after the game, as the official trailer racks up more than 46 million views and more than six million likes in eight hours. The trailer revealed that the game is coming soon in 2025.