Take-Two subpoenas Discord and Microsoft to track down GTA VI leaker

Take-Two Interactive, the parent company of Rockstar Games, has taken legal steps to identify whoever is responsible for leaking Grand Theft Auto VI footage. According to Kotaku, the publisher filed two petitions for subpoenas in the Southern District of New York, targeting Microsoft and Discord.

From Microsoft, Take-Two is seeking records tied to a GitHub repository allegedly used to host its copyrighted material, including audiovisual content, artwork, images, dialogue and other creative assets. The company specifically wants business and investigative records from Microsoft's internal probe into a persona known as "cyberleek."

From Discord, Take-Two is requesting information on multiple accounts and servers, including users going by CYBERLEEK, CINEMATICROCKSTAR and Surfer24k, a server operated by GTA V content creator DarkViperAU, and another server called !Odyssey. The company is asking for identifying details such as full names, phone numbers, linked accounts, and any content shared related to Grand Theft Auto, Rockstar or Cyberleek.

Footage of GTA VI began leaking on August 18, prompting Take-Two to quickly issue takedown requests. Despite those efforts, additional material continued to circulate, including videos suggesting the leaker or group behind Cyberleek had access to a working build of the game.

Before the leaks spread, Take-Two and Rockstar had planned to reveal an extended look at GTA VI on August 27 through an exclusive streaming partnership with Netflix.

This is not the first time GTA VI material has leaked. In 2022, footage was shared by an 18-year-old member of the hacking group Lapsus$, who accessed it via an Amazon Fire TV Stick. He was later given an indefinite hospital order after a mental health assessment found he was unfit to stand trial and likely to return to cybercrime if released.