Looking back at 2022: Rockstar confirmed a hack and stolen early development footage
In September 2022, Rockstar Games confirmed that an intruder had downloaded confidential data, including early development footage of the next Grand Theft Auto. A look back based on reporting by The Record.
Published
Leak · unconfirmed: Leaked information without official confirmation. Leaks can be incomplete, outdated or wrong.
On September 19, 2022, Rockstar Games confirmed that an unauthorized third party had accessed its systems and downloaded confidential information, including early development footage for the next Grand Theft Auto. The Record (Recorded Future News) reported the confirmation the same day. Videos and clips from that material had already been shared on a Grand Theft Auto fan forum around September 18, 2022.
What Rockstar said at the time
According to The Record, Rockstar posted its statement on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. The studio said it was extremely disappointed that details of its next game had come out this way. It also said it did not expect any long-term effect on the development of its ongoing projects.
we do not anticipate any disruption to our live game services (Rockstar Games, statement as quoted by The Record, September 19, 2022)
Work on the next Grand Theft Auto was to continue as planned, and Rockstar said it would properly introduce the game once it was ready. A spokesperson told The Record the company had nothing to add beyond the published statement.
Take-Two's response and the intruder's claims
Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar's parent company, filed several DMCA infringement notices and takedown requests to have the footage removed from YouTube and Twitter, the report says. In posts of their own, the alleged intruder claimed to be behind an attack on Uber the week before and said they wanted to negotiate with Rockstar and Take-Two. The Record presents these points as the intruder's claims.
Context from today
The report does not put a number on how much material was taken. Rockstar's original social media post could not be opened directly for this look back, so the statements above rely on The Record's account. WANTED SIX does not describe content from the stolen material.
Rockstar later officially unveiled the game as Grand Theft Auto VI. According to the official website, it launches on November 19, 2026 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
Coverage of other leaks and reports is collected under Leaks, confirmed news under News. WANTED SIX does not link to leaked material.
Sources
Event: 18 September 2022 · Source published: 19 September 2022 · Checked on 27 October 2026.
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