The leak, including dozens of videos showing heists, guns and open-world driving, was posted on an online message board. Rockstar Games, the studio behind the game, said on Twitter on Monday: “We recently suffered a network intrusion in which an unauthorized third party illegally accessed and downloaded confidential information from our systems, including early development plans for the next Grand Theft Auto. “At this time, we do not expect any disruption to our live game services nor any long-term impact on the development of our ongoing projects. “We are extremely disappointed to share all the details of our next game in this way. “Our work on the next Grand Theft Auto game will continue as planned and we remain as dedicated as ever to delivering an experience to you, our players, that truly exceeds your expectations. “We’ll update everyone again soon and, of course, properly introduce you to this next game when it’s ready. “We want to thank everyone for their continued support in this situation.” “public relations disaster” Shares of Take-Two, the owner of Rockstar Games, fell more than 3.8% on news of the hack, as the company reportedly began issuing takedown notices and links to the hardware for a number of websites. The hacker, who claimed to be behind a cyber incident at Uber last week, told an online forum that they wanted to “negotiate a deal” with Take-Two, without elaborating. Jefferies analysts described the hack as a “public relations disaster,” adding in a client note that it “potentially delays production and hurts morale.” However, the hacker could pose an even bigger threat, they said, adding: “If the source code is leaked, it could require significant changes under the hood of the game to ensure its stability and the integrity of the GTA VI Online server as soon as it’s released.” . And the stakes are high – according to Bank of America Global Research, Grand Theft Auto VI is estimated to generate $3.5bn (£3bn) in bookings at launch and an annual average of $2bn (£1.75bn £) after that.
