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GTA 6 Leaks Hit a Full Week as Take-Two Subpoenas Microsoft and Discord

Jason Duval sitting on a green Principe motorcycle between palm trees, pistol in hand. Image: Rockstar Games.

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The GTA 6 leak saga has now run a full week, with clips landing daily since 18 August, fourteen videos by our count, even after Take-Two started pulling legal levers. Most public trackers lag a day behind on ten or eleven, splitting the multi-part drops differently; TheGamer’s count matches ours at fourteen, with a game store clip, discs on the shelves, arriving on 25 August. Rockstar’s parent company has subpoenaed Microsoft and Discord as part of the hunt for whoever is behind the clips, and reporting suggests the leaks are tangled up with a cryptocurrency promotion scheme. Away from Rockstar, it was a week of server headaches for FromSoftware, a studio finally freed from Xbox, and a fresh face for Amazon’s God of War series.

Jason Duval sitting on a green Principe motorcycle between palm trees, pistol in hand. Image: Rockstar Games.
Image: Rockstar Games.

GTA 6 Leaks: Fourteen Videos In, No Leaker Identified, and a Crypto Angle

The person or group behind the GTA 6 leaks has shown no sign of stopping, with new clips landing every day despite Take-Two, Microsoft and Discord all now being pulled into the legal process, according to IGN. Take-Two has issued subpoenas to Microsoft and Discord demanding records as it tries to identify the source, PC Gamer reports. Separately, a report examined by GameSpot states the leaker has not yet been identified, and that the leaks are connected to a cryptocurrency promotion effort rather than a straightforward act of piracy. PC Gamer’s own coverage of the leaker known as Cyberleek notes the videos are watermarked with references to a memecoin, and that the leaker has begun selling advertising space in the clips for a reported 165,000 dollars, according to PC Gamer. A YouTuber named in the Take-Two subpoena has denied any wrongdoing, per IGN. GameSpot also reports the leaks are fuelling what it describes as a crypto pump and dump scheme, tied to the same coin branding appearing across the videos, in a separate GameSpot report. PC Gamer additionally reports that Rockstar employees are frustrated by the leaks, though the same piece notes the leaks may have only increased anticipation for the eventual reveal, per PC Gamer. Take-Two’s market capitalisation reportedly dropped by 2.8 billion dollars following the leaks, according to PC Gamer, which frames that figure as a relatively small hit for a company of Take-Two’s size.

Why it matters: this is no longer just a leak story, it is a legal and financial one, and it shows how murky the incentives behind leaked footage can get when a cryptocurrency is riding on the views.

The PlayTheory take: unconfirmed reports linking the leaks to a coin promotion should be treated exactly as that, unconfirmed and sourced to the reporting above, not as an established fact about who is behind this or why. What is confirmed is that Take-Two has moved to subpoena two major platforms, which tells you how seriously Rockstar’s parent company is taking the breach.

For everything we know so far, see our GTA VI hub and track GTA Online money hub news as it develops.

The Duskbloods Network Test Cut Short After Server Issues

FromSoftware ended the first slot of The Duskbloods network test early after what it called game server issues barred players from getting in, and the studio has since apologised for the disruption, according to IGN. GameSpot reports the first test slot was shut down amid widespread login errors, and that the schedule for the remaining test slots is now in flux, per GameSpot.

Why it matters: network tests exist to catch exactly this kind of problem before launch, so FromSoftware has time to fix things before the remaining slots run.

The PlayTheory take: it is worth separating the server trouble from the game itself. Nobody has reported anything negative about The Duskbloods as a game this week, only that people could not reliably get into it, which is a different kind of problem entirely.

Compulsion Games Completes Its Split From Xbox

Compulsion Games, the studio behind South of Midnight and We Happy Few, has officially completed its separation from Microsoft, according to GameSpot. PC Gamer reports the buyout is complete, meaning Microsoft will no longer take a cut when players buy South of Midnight going forward, per PC Gamer. This follows Double Fine’s confirmation that it has regained IP and publishing rights for all of its games released under Microsoft, according to IGN.

Why it matters: two studios regaining independence from a major publisher in the same week is a notable pattern, and it changes who actually benefits when you buy these games.

The PlayTheory take: if you have been meaning to pick up South of Midnight or a Double Fine game, buying it now more directly supports the people who made it rather than the publisher that used to own the pipes.

Dave Bautista Cast as Kratos in Amazon’s God of War Series

Prime Video’s God of War series has confirmed its new Kratos, with Dave Bautista taking the role, according to GameSpot. PC Gamer independently confirms the same casting, per PC Gamer.

Why it matters: God of War is one of PlayStation’s most recognisable franchises, and the casting of its lead is the first real signal of how the show intends to portray Kratos on screen.

The PlayTheory take: Bautista has the physical presence for the role on paper, though how the show handles Kratos’s arc across the newer games remains to be seen, and nothing has been said yet about tone or timeline.

Marvel’s Wolverine Limited Edition PS5 Controller Selling Fast

The Marvel’s Wolverine themed PS5 controller remains available for preorder but may be starting to sell out ahead of release, according to IGN. Separately, IGN has put together a reading list of six X-Men comics for players wanting context ahead of the game, per IGN.

Why it matters: limited edition hardware tends to move fast around a first-party PlayStation launch, and this is an early read on demand for the game itself.

The PlayTheory take: if the controller is the kind of thing you want, the smart move is to preorder now rather than wait, on the reporting that stock is already thinning.

Metal Gear Solid 4 Returns With Master Collection Vol. 2

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is now playable on modern consoles as the centrepiece of Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2, following years stuck on PS3 hardware, according to GameSpot. IGN’s retrospective revisits the game’s legacy and its reputation as a flawed entry that Kojima reportedly did not originally want to make, per IGN. PC Gamer’s review calls it the new best way to play the game, per PC Gamer.

Why it matters: MGS4 has been locked to PS3 for close to two decades, so its arrival on current hardware is a genuine event for a generation of players who missed it the first time.

The PlayTheory take: this is a good week to go back and see how the series’ most divisive entry holds up, especially with a fresh coat of paint and none of the PS3 loading screens.

We will keep tracking the GTA 6 leaks, the Duskbloods rollout and everything else moving fast this week. Come argue about the crypto angle, the new Kratos casting, or whether MGS4 deserves its reputation in the PlayTheory Discord.

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