# The GTA 6 2022 leak: what happened, the hacker and the court case

Source: https://gta.kuber.studio/timeline/gta-6-2022-leak
Status: mixed
Updated: 2026-11-15

> In Sept 2022 a hacker leaked 90+ early GTA 6 clips. Rockstar confirmed it, Arion Kurtaj got a hospital order, and a retrial was listed for Nov 9, 2026.

**Quick answer:** On **September 18, 2022**, a hacker posted **90+ clips** (about 50 minutes) of early-development GTA 6 footage. Rockstar confirmed a 'network intrusion' the next day and said it expected no long-term effect on development. The hacker, **Arion Kurtaj** of Lapsus$, received an indefinite hospital order in December 2023. A retrial was listed for **November 9, 2026**, with no outcome reported as of November 15. Other leaks are on [[leaks/index|the leaks ledger]].

| Key fact | |
| --- | --- |
| Leak date | September 18, 2022 |
| What leaked | 90+ early-development clips, about 50 min |
| Rockstar response | Confirmed breach, Sept 19, 2022 |
| Hacker | Arion Kurtaj (Lapsus$) |
| Cost to Rockstar | About $5M (told to court) |
| Sentence | Indefinite hospital order, Dec 21, 2023 |
| Retrial | Listed Nov 9, 2026, Woolwich Crown Court |

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** <span class="tag-reported">reported</span>. 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 <span class="tag-confirmed">confirmed</span>. 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" <span class="tag-confirmed">confirmed</span>.

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 <span class="tag-confirmed">confirmed</span>.

## 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 <span class="tag-confirmed">confirmed</span>. 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 | <span class="tag-confirmed">confirmed</span> |
| 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 | <span class="tag-confirmed">confirmed</span> |
| The leak would delay the game | Rockstar said no; the later delays cited polish | <span class="tag-debunked">debunked</span> |
| The hacker had the source code | Claimed by the hacker; never confirmed by Rockstar | <span class="tag-rumour">rumour</span> |

## The Arion Kurtaj court case

| Date | Event | Grade |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sep 22, 2022 | Arrested in Oxfordshire, age 17 | <span class="tag-confirmed">confirmed</span> |
| Aug 2023 | Southwark Crown Court jury finds he did the acts behind 12 offenses, including the Rockstar, Uber, Nvidia and BT/EE hacks | <span class="tag-confirmed">confirmed</span> |
| Aug 2023 | Ruled unfit to stand trial, so no conviction | <span class="tag-confirmed">confirmed</span> |
| Dec 21, 2023 | Indefinite hospital order; a 17-year-old accomplice gets an 18-month youth rehabilitation order | <span class="tag-confirmed">confirmed</span> |
| Later | Court of Appeal rules evidence of six earlier offenses should not have been admitted, but leaves the findings intact | <span class="tag-reported">reported</span> |
| Jul 2026 | Assessed fit to plead; moved from secure hospital to prison to await retrial | <span class="tag-reported">reported</span> |
| Oct 9, 2026 | Retrial listed for Nov 9, 2026 at Woolwich Crown Court | <span class="tag-reported">reported</span> |
| Nov 9, 2026 | Retrial scheduled to open; no outcome reported as of Nov 15 | <span class="tag-reported">reported</span> |

### 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 <span class="tag-confirmed">confirmed</span>. 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 [[timeline/gta-6-delays|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 <span class="tag-debunked">debunked</span>. 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 <span class="tag-reported">reported</span>. Security came up again in the October 2025 firings, when Rockstar accused staff of leaking confidential information on Discord; see [[timeline/rockstar-uk-firings-and-union|the UK firings]]. More on the studio side in [[timeline/gta-6-development-history|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 [[leaks/gta-6-cyberleek-2026-leaks|CyberLeek]] and [[news/2026-11-14-collectors-box-map-leak|the map leak]]. The [[media/gta-6-trailer-1|Trailer 1]] page covers the 2023 early release. Everything is in order on the [[timeline/index|GTA 6 timeline]].

## FAQ

**What was the GTA 6 leak in 2022?**

On September 18, 2022, a hacker using the name teapotuberhacker posted more than 90 videos, about 50 minutes, of early-development GTA VI footage on GTAForums. Rockstar confirmed the footage was stolen from its systems the next day.

**Was the 2022 GTA 6 leak real?**

Yes. Rockstar confirmed that an unauthorized third party downloaded confidential information 'including early development footage' for the next Grand Theft Auto.

**Who leaked GTA 6?**

Arion Kurtaj, a member of the Lapsus$ hacking group, arrested in Oxfordshire at 17. A jury found in August 2023 that he carried out the acts, but he was ruled unfit to stand trial, so he was not convicted.

**What happened to the GTA 6 hacker?**

He received an indefinite hospital order in December 2023. In 2026 he was assessed fit to plead and moved to prison, and a retrial was listed for November 9, 2026 at Woolwich Crown Court. No outcome had been reported as of November 15, 2026.

**Did the 2022 leak delay GTA 6?**

Rockstar said at the time it did not expect any long-term effect on development timelines. The game was later delayed twice, both times for polish, with no stated link to the hack.


## Sources

- [Rockstar confirms cyberattack, leak of confidential data including GTA 6 footage](https://therecord.media/rockstar-confirms-cyberattack-leak-of-confidential-data-including-gta-6-footage) (The Record, Sep 2022)
- [Rockstar acknowledges massive GTA 6 leak: 'We are extremely disappointed'](https://gamesradar.com/games/grand-theft-auto/rockstar-acknowledges-massive-gta-6-leak-we-are-extremely-disappointed) (GamesRadar+, Sep 2022)
- [Take-Two cracks down on leaked Grand Theft Auto 6 footage as Rockstar confirms network intrusion](https://www.pcgamer.com/take-two-cracks-down-on-leaked-grand-theft-auto-6-footage-as-rockstar-confirms-network-intrusion) (PC Gamer, Sep 2022)
- [British teen hacker behind GTA 6 leak sentenced to life in hospital](https://www.tbsnews.net/tech/british-teen-hacker-behind-gta-6-leak-sentenced-life-hospital-762398) (TBS News, Dec 2023)
- [GTA 6 hacker sentenced to an indefinite hospital order](https://videogameschronicle.com/news/gta-6-hacker-sentenced-to-an-indefinite-hospital-order) (VGC, Dec 2023)
- [GTA 6 Hacker Moved to Prison for Retrial](https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/gta-6-hacker-moved-prison-223913390.html) (IGN via Yahoo News, Jul 16, 2026)
- [Alleged GTA 6 Leaker Goes on Trial on November 9](https://gamerant.com/gta-6-leaker-trial-court-date/) (Game Rant, Oct 9, 2026)
- [Grand Theft Auto VI](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Theft_Auto_VI) (Wikipedia, Accessed Nov 15, 2026)