Although Rockstar and Take-Two quickly removed the videos from the internet, the press still learned about their content.

Rockstar puts an extraordinary amount of work into the small details that make up its vast worlds. The dynamic clover in Red Dead Redemption, which shrinks in cold weather, is a frequently cited example of this commitment. A couple of videos have surfaced that were allegedly leaked from Grand Theft Auto VI gameplay. If they’re authentic, as the copyright takedowns suggest, they seem to confirm that the game will be similar. Obviously, the short videos can’t showcase Rockstar’s full plans, and we don’t know how recent they are. However, there’s nothing to suggest that Grand Theft Auto VI will reinvent the open-world crime spree. It will be an evolution, not a revolution.

In one video, the player shoots hoops as the protagonist, Jason. The basketball on the ground and the hoop nailed to the house aren’t static props. There’s a system for accurate shooting, and the game keeps track of the number of successful shots. Another video shows a typical Grand Theft Auto scene: the player takes a reckless turn, crashes into a truck, beats the driver to death, and flees from the police. However, we still don’t know what’s happening with Grand Theft Auto Online or what those Grand Theft Auto role-playing mod creators hired by Rockstar have been doing.

The group (or individual) behind the leak, Cyberleek, claims that they are not doing this just for fun. In a manifesto criticizing industry practices it finds objectionable, Cyberleek warned that it will continue to target publishers who violate its rules. The group stated that it is raising funds for a secret project, presumably through the sale of a memecoin. These funds will be used to pay for the infrastructure needed for the attacks, as well as the security measures required to fend off the companies’ guaranteed counterattacks. The manifesto listed three commandments: digital pre-orders are prohibited; fake single-player DLC, i.e., DLC that is already part of the game data, is prohibited; and ensuring an offline save state for single-player games is mandatory. They warned that publishers who violate the rules can expect sanctions.

“Publishers sell licenses and call them purchases. They ship unfinished games and call them living services. They lock content on discs and call it DLC. They kill games and keep the money. Every year, anti-consumerism tightens its grip, and every year, gamers get less for what they pay. Cyberleek will not stop until the publishers issue a public statement and apology with a concrete commitment to do better. Words are not enough; restitution is mandatory.” Cyberleek wrote.

There is also a perhaps unintended irony in the fact that, while promoting cryptocurrencies, they are discussing consumer rights at length. Regardless of their motivations, however, this is certainly a headache that Rockstar and Take-Two could do without. Cyberleek’s arrogance could be its downfall, and it remains to be seen whether it can follow through on its threats. With the release of Grand Theft Auto VI on consoles just three months away and the Netflix premiere coming next week, Cyberleek may still be able to cause serious damage.

However, Sony has already given up on physical discs. Cyberleek won’t be able to change that.

Source: PCGamer, PCGamer