Rockstar Games answered a week of leaked Grand Theft Auto VI clips with a statement on Instagram on August 26, 2026, one day before the Extended Look premiere. It called the leaks “heartbreaking for our team” and “obviously not how we intended for you to see the game,” said the team was busy “getting the game finished (nearly there!),” and hoped fans would “wait a bit longer to experience the game for themselves on November 19.” Engadget printed the statement in full.
What the statement did not do matters too. It did not ask fans to stop sharing the clips, did not describe what they showed, and did not say how old the leaked build was.
What leaked
From August 18, a group calling itself CYBERLEEK posted GTA 6 gameplay clips, including a basketball mini-game and a driving sequence with a police response, plus a purported Leonida map. SVG counted 14 clips by August 26. In the final days before the Extended Look, the leaker posted clips showing Lucia for the first time, including what outlets described as part of her opening. The group said it was protesting what it called anti-consumer practices, such as selling licenses rather than ownership, while pushing a cryptocurrency in its posts (SVG).
How old the build was is not known. Community analysis dates the clips to roughly a 2023 to early 2025 build, which we tag as rumor. Rockstar has not said, SVG wrote that the age is impossible to know, and GameRant described it only as “a fairly recent build.” Bloomberg reported on August 21 that Rockstar was rattled and did not know who was behind it.
Take-Two’s response went beyond takedowns. SVG reported DMCA takedown requests plus subpoena proceedings targeting Microsoft, which owns GitHub, where clips were hosted, and Discord, where the group coordinated. Status: reported.
We do not host or link to any leaked material. Our GTA 6 leak timeline covers every leak since 2022 and explains why old builds are a poor guide to the finished game, and the GTA 6 rumor tracker covers the hoaxes that spread alongside them.
The next day
The statement landed a day before Rockstar’s 26-minute showcase premiered on Netflix, a date it had announced on August 6. Official footage captured on PS5 replaced the clips as the reference point for how the game looks. See our Extended Look breakdown and the premiere numbers.
The signal for the release date
“Nearly there” is not a formal reaffirmation, but it matches everything Take-Two has said. The publisher repeated November 19, 2026 on its August 7 earnings call and again at its September 17 annual meeting. On August 28, two days after the statement, Rob Nelson, co-studio head at Rockstar North, told Famitsu “it will definitely be released (laughs)” (reported). He did not name a date himself. The release date page has the full history, and has GTA 6 gone gold tracks the next milestone.
Background: GTA 6 leaks explained · Who makes GTA 6
Frequently asked questions
Did Rockstar confirm the August 2026 leaks were real?
It acknowledged them. The statement called the leaks heartbreaking and said this was not how Rockstar meant players to see the game. It did not describe the clips or say how old the build was.
Did Rockstar ask fans not to share the leaked clips?
No. The statement asked fans to wait a bit longer and experience the game themselves on November 19. It made no request about sharing.
How old was the leaked build?
Unknown. Community analysis dates the clips to roughly a 2023 to early 2025 build, which is a rumor. Rockstar has not said, and SVG noted the age cannot be known from the clips.
Does 'nearly there' mean the release date is safe?
It is a strong signal. Rockstar said the team was busy finishing the game, and Take-Two reaffirmed November 19, 2026 at its annual meeting three weeks later.
Where was the statement posted?
On Rockstar's Instagram account, not the Newswire. Engadget printed it in full.
What changed on this page
- Retitled so this post about Rockstar's August 26 statement is not confused with our GTA 6 leaks timeline. The article is unchanged.
- Removed an incorrect claim that Rockstar asked fans not to share the clips, credited the build-age estimate to community analysis instead of Bloomberg and GameSpot, and added Take-Two's reported subpoenas. Stopped implying that Rob Nelson named the date in his Famitsu quote.
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