On September 18, 2022, a hacker posted more than 90 videos, about 50 minutes in all, of early-development GTA 6 footage on GTAForums. Rockstar confirmed the breach the next day. The hacker, Arion Kurtaj of the Lapsus$ group, was 17 when arrested. He received an indefinite hospital order in December 2023, and a retrial was listed for November 9, 2026 reported. No outcome had been reported as of November 15, 2026.
This page covers what happened and the legal case. We do not link to, host or describe the leaked footage in detail. It showed an unfinished build from years before release.
What happened in the GTA 6 leak?
September 18, 2022: the footage goes up
A user calling themselves “teapotuberhacker” posted 90+ clips to GTAForums and claimed to have source code too. The same actor claimed responsibility for a breach at Uber around the same time confirmed. Take-Two began issuing takedown requests to get the videos removed.
September 19, 2022: Rockstar confirms it
Rockstar’s statement said an “unauthorized third party illegally accessed and downloaded confidential information from our systems, including early development footage for the next Grand Theft Auto”. Rockstar said it was “extremely disappointed” and did “not anticipate any long-term effect on our development timelines” confirmed.
That was the first official acknowledgment that the footage was real. It also mattered because it came seven months after Rockstar first confirmed, on February 4, 2022, that development was “well underway”.
September 22, 2022: the arrest
City of London Police arrested a 17-year-old in Oxfordshire. He was later named as Arion Kurtaj confirmed.
Who is Arion Kurtaj?
Kurtaj was a teenage member of Lapsus$, a hacking group behind a string of high-profile corporate breaches. The 2023 jury findings covered 12 offenses across several companies, including Uber, Nvidia and BT/EE as well as Rockstar confirmed. That is why the Rockstar hack was tried alongside the others, and why the same person claimed the Uber breach around the time the GTA footage appeared.
What did the 2022 leak reveal, and what did it get right?
We do not detail the footage. What we can say is how the main claims of the time held up:
| Claim in 2022 | Outcome | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| The footage was genuine GTA VI | Rockstar confirmed it was stolen early-development footage | confirmed |
| A female co-lead in a Miami-style setting | Bloomberg reported it in July 2022, before the hack; Trailer 1 confirmed Lucia and Vice City | confirmed |
| The leak would delay the game | Rockstar said no; the later delays cited polish | debunked |
| The hacker had the source code | Claimed by the hacker; never confirmed by Rockstar | rumour |
The Arion Kurtaj court case
| Date | Event | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 22, 2022 | Arrested in Oxfordshire, age 17 | confirmed |
| Aug 2023 | Southwark Crown Court jury finds he did the acts behind 12 offenses, including the Rockstar, Uber, Nvidia and BT/EE hacks | confirmed |
| Aug 2023 | Ruled unfit to stand trial, so no conviction | confirmed |
| Dec 21, 2023 | Indefinite hospital order; a 17-year-old accomplice gets an 18-month youth rehabilitation order | confirmed |
| Later | Court of Appeal rules evidence of six earlier offenses should not have been admitted, but leaves the findings intact | reported |
| Jul 2026 | Assessed fit to plead; moved from secure hospital to prison to await retrial | reported |
| Oct 9, 2026 | Retrial listed for Nov 9, 2026 at Woolwich Crown Court | reported |
| Nov 9, 2026 | Retrial scheduled to open; no outcome reported as of Nov 15 | reported |
The 2023 hospital order
Kurtaj was 18 by the time of sentencing on December 21, 2023. The judge cited his continued intent to commit cybercrime. Rockstar told the court the hack cost it about $5 million, per Wikipedia confirmed. An indefinite hospital order means he could be held in a secure hospital with no fixed end date.
Why there is a retrial in 2026
Because he was found unfit to stand trial in 2023, the jury decided only whether he did the acts, not whether he was guilty. In July 2026, BBC cyber correspondent Joe Tidy reported that Kurtaj had been assessed fit to plead and moved to a “normal prison” to await a retrial, as relayed by IGN. Game Rant later reported, citing a Red Lion Chambers LinkedIn post, that the retrial was listed for November 9, 2026 at Woolwich Crown Court. We will update this page when an outcome is reported.
Did the 2022 leak delay GTA 6?
Rockstar said no at the time. The game was later delayed twice, first in May 2025 and again in November 2025, and both times Rockstar cited quality and polish. Neither statement mentioned the hack. So the 2022 claim that the leak “would delay GTA 6” is graded false as stated debunked. Whether the breach had any quieter effect on Rockstar’s schedule is unknown.
What changed at Rockstar after the leak?
Rockstar has not tied any policy to the hack directly. In February 2024 it ordered staff back to the office five days a week from April, “for productivity and security”, per Wikipedia citing IGN and Bloomberg reported. Security came up again in the October 2025 firings, when Rockstar accused staff of leaking confidential information on Discord; see the UK firings. More on the studio side in development history.
How the 2022 leak compares with later GTA 6 leaks
| Leak | When | What | Official response |
|---|---|---|---|
| The 2022 hack | Sep 2022 | 90+ early-development clips | Rockstar confirmed the breach |
| Trailer 1 leak | Dec 4, 2023 | A low-quality copy of the trailer | Rockstar released it about 15 hours early |
| CyberLeek | Aug-Oct 2026 | Gameplay clips, a map image, a 24-minute video | Rockstar called it “heartbreaking” |
| Collector’s Box map | Nov 12-14, 2026 | A photo of the boxed paper map | No statement reported |
The 2026 leaks are covered on CyberLeek and the map leak. The Trailer 1 page covers the 2023 early release. Everything is in order on the GTA 6 timeline.