Take-Two Subpoenas Microsoft and Discord Over GTA 6 Leaks

Take-Two Interactive, the parent company of Rockstar Games, has filed DMCA subpoenas against Microsoft and Discord in an effort to identify the person or group behind the recent Grand Theft Auto VI leaks. The subpoenas, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on August 20, were approved by two federal judges the following day, according to court documents reviewed by AFP. Both companies have been ordered to produce the requested information by September 4.

The legal action targets a GitHub repository owned by Microsoft where leaked content was posted, as well as Discord servers where the leaks were shared. Take-Two is seeking identifying information for accounts involved in posting and distributing the footage, including account IDs, registration emails, IP addresses, phone numbers, linked accounts, device identifiers, telemetry data, and content from OneDrive. The Discord subpoena also requests information for all user accounts that were members of named servers between June 1 and the date of the subpoena, not just those allegedly involved in the leaks.

The leaks have been attributed to a person or group using the name CyberLeek, who has posted multiple gameplay videos and an apparent full map of the game. The footage shows protagonist Jason Duval engaged in various activities, including driving, playing basketball, flying a plane, using a taser, and brawling. One clip shows Jason spelling "LEEK" with bullet holes on a wall, while another cutscene includes a character saying they need to take "a leak"—a apparent taunt at Rockstar. The leaks have also been used to advertise a memecoin, with one watermark reading "HIGHER MARKET CAP = MORE LEEKS."

CyberLeek has posted a manifesto opposing Rockstar's digital-only release and pre-orders, with a list of "Three Commandments" including a demand that no consumer pay for a game through digital storefronts before release and independent review. The group has also threatened other publishers, stating, "If CyberLeek can reach Rockstar, no one is safe." A clip posted Wednesday carried the message "No physical discs? Then more leeks!"—a reference to Rockstar's confirmation in June that the game would not have a physical disc, with retail editions containing a download code only.

The subpoenas have named a Discord server associated with Australian GTA content creator Matthew "Matt" Judge, known as DarkViperAU. Judge, who has 2.27 million YouTube subscribers and nearly 900,000 Twitch followers, has denied any wrongdoing. In a tweet, he said, "I don't know anything. That isn't my editors' Discord." He later held a three-hour livestream to respond, joking about the situation and insisting he had nothing to do with the leaks.

A Discord spokesperson said the company reviews and complies with valid DMCA subpoenas when received. Xbox CTO Scott Van Vliet stated on X that Microsoft and Xbox are "working closely with Take-Two and Rockstar Games to support efforts to protect creative works and intellectual property." Neither Rockstar nor Take-Two has issued a public statement on the leaks.

The leaks have continued despite the legal action. After the subpoenas were issued, the leaker released additional videos, including supercar gameplay, an armed robbery, and strip club footage. Reuploads of the clips have been removed due to copyright complaints. The leaks are seen as undermining Rockstar's marketing campaign, which began nearly three years ago with an initial trailer. The campaign ramps up with an exclusive presentation on Netflix on August 27, two months ahead of the game's release on November 19.

GTA VI is set in a Florida-inspired region and has been in development for over 13 years since the release of GTA V, which has sold 230 million copies. The game is scheduled to launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, with the standard edition priced at $80 and the Ultimate Edition at $100. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said the company recorded an "exceptional start" to pre-orders, noting that more players are pre-ordering the higher-priced Ultimate Edition than the standard version. He also called the Netflix partnership "one of the hors d'oeuvres" of the marketing campaign.

This is not the first time Rockstar has faced leaks. In September 2022, the company was hit by a major leak of 90 in-development videos, which prompted an FBI investigation. In December 2023, the game's trailer leaked a day before its scheduled premiere, leading to an early release. Earlier this year, Rockstar experienced a third-party data breach in which a hacker group accessed a limited amount of non-material information. According to Bloomberg, Rockstar still does not know how the recent leaks happened, and there is internal frustration and anger, but no plans to shift the Netflix reveal.