The hacker allegedly responsible for the recent leak of Grand Theft Auto 6 pleads guilty to breaching bail conditions but not to computer misuse.

The 17-year-old hacker allegedly responsible for the large-scale leak of Grand Theft Auto 6 development footage and possibly other content has pleaded not guilty to computer misuse charges. However, he appears to have pleaded guilty to breaching bail conditions. The teenager accused of leaking GTA 6 material is currently being held in a youth detention centre.

Recently, the first leaked footage of Grand Theft Auto 6 began circulating, thanks to a catastrophic security breach at developer Rockstar Games.

It is not yet known exactly what was accessed during the hack, but reports suggest that the hacker obtained source code for Grand Theft Auto 5 and Grand Theft Auto 6. Following the hacking attack, many people on social media claimed responsibility for the incident. In contrast, a person claiming to be the hacker in question managed to extort $100,000 from a person in a fraudulent deal for the source code of GTA 5.

A 17-year-old suspect was recently arrested in Oxfordshire, UK, due to a joint investigation by the FBI and the UK’s National Cyber Crime Unit, and according to City of London Detective Inspector Michael O’Sullivan, the alleged hacker has pleaded not guilty to the computer misuse charge.

However, the suspect pleaded guilty to breaching bail conditions imposed during a previous arrest, when the then 16-year-old hacker was part of a group arrested on suspicion of hacking into major companies such as Microsoft.

As a minor, the identity of the Grand Theft Auto 6 hacker is likely to remain hidden.

Rockstar Games issued a statement confirming that a “network intrusion” had occurred, resulting in information being taken from its servers. However, the GTA developer insists the incident “has no long-term impact on development”. It could be argued that the leak has provided significant press coverage for Grand Theft Auto 6 and, as an unintended side effect, has further promoted the highly anticipated title.

Previously rumoured details, such as the male and female protagonists and the Vice City location of Grand Theft Auto 6, have been confirmed by the leaked footage, although there will undoubtedly be plenty more to discover when GTA 6 finally launches in the coming years.

Source: Eurogamer