Home Games Complete Timeline of the GTA VI Gameplay Leak by Cyberleek

Complete Timeline of the GTA VI Gameplay Leak by Cyberleek

August 23, 2026

Imagine you’re waiting for the most hyped game in the history of the industry, and then suddenly someone appears online who isn’t just peeking—but is actually playing the game’s original build—and recording it for the world to see. That’s what’s been happening with Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA VI) since mid-August 2026. An individual or group calling itself Cyberleek (not “CyberLeak” as widely circulated on social media—it’s a play on the word “leak” itself) has managed to throw Rockstar Games and Take-Two Interactive into a tizzy for over a week now.

I’ve been following this development from the start, and to be honest, this isn’t your typical leak. It’s on a whole different level from the leak of 90 development clips that caused a stir back in 2022—which, at the time, was carried out by teenage members of the Lapsus$ group. This time, the material is much more polished, closer to the final release version, and—most concerning for Rockstar—the leaker appears to have full control over a playable build, not just old footage being reposted.

Serious Mode

Timeline: Six Days That Shook Rockstar

It all began on August 18, 2026. Cyberleek released the first clip showing Jason (one of the protagonists of GTA VI) playing basketball in front of his house, complete with a HUD and a dual-currency system. On the same day, footage also surfaced showing a high-speed chase on the highway that ended in a crash and a brawl with the police, as well as—most surprisingly—a complete map of the game world revealing just how vast Vice City really is.

The next day, August 19, Cyberleek released a clip showing Jason attacking a security guard armed with a taser at a distribution warehouse, stealing a hat, and then hijacking a semi-truck. There’s also another clip showing him stabbing a police officer and stealing a bicycle. What really got under Rockstar’s skin was a specific cutscene where the leaker deliberately inserted mocking dialogue about using a VPN—as if to taunt them into trying to track him down.

The climax of the “proof” came on August 20: a recording of a roughly two-minute flight in a small plane over Vice City, complete with a radio menu that could be navigated in real time. Most strikingly, Cyberleek fired bullets at a wall in the game to spell out “LEEK,” demonstrating something that would be impossible to do with just a regular video recording—rather than full control over the active game build.

There was a lull of about 24 hours that sparked speculation that Take-Two had finally managed to catch the culprit. As it turned out, that assumption was off the mark. On August 21, Cyberleek returned with a video titled “Hypercar,” about 2.5 minutes long, showing Jason stealing a Bugatti-like supercar (identical to the Truffade Thrax from GTA Online) and driving it around the city wearing different clothes than in previous clips—a sign that the game’s story is indeed moving forward.

Linimasa enam hari pertama bocoran GTA VI oleh Cyberleek, disusun oleh redaksi dari laporan Dot Esports, Insider Gaming, Forbes, dan Tom's Hardware (lihat Daftar Sumber). — A timeline of the first six days of the GTA VI leak by Cyberleek, compiled by the editorial team from reports by Dot Esports, Insider Gaming, Forbes, and Tom’s Hardware (see List of Sources).

Revealed Gameplay Features

Among all these leaks, there are a few mechanical details that have really caught the community’s attention. First, there are indications of a karma or honor system, represented by a small devil icon with a minus sign every time Jason commits violence for no apparent reason—suggesting that the game distinguishes between self-defense and indiscriminate attacks.

In addition, there’s a stamina meter that depletes during fights, with a vignette effect appearing on the screen when stamina is completely depleted. The police wanted level system has been raised to six stars (one level higher than in GTA V), with an identification system that tracks specific clothing, appearance, and vehicles, plus a proximity indicator that helps players hide.

The world map, called Leonida, has also been fully revealed, consisting of five counties: Vice Dale, Mariana, Kelly, Leonard, and Lummox, which encompass urban areas, swamps, mountains, race tracks, and military bases. There’s also a streaming-style “On Demand” radio feature, a fuel and vehicle damage system, a basketball minigame, and a property rental budget system.

Not Just Activism, but Also Business

What sets Cyberleek apart from most hackers is the way he monetizes this chaos. In addition to embedding watermarks urging viewers to donate cryptocurrency in each of his videos and promoting meme coins, Cyberleek also offers a sort of “premium ad space” service in subsequent leaked videos, with an initial fee of around 400 Monero—equivalent to US$$162,000 (approximately Rp2.6 billion)—just to begin negotiations via encrypted messages.

On the other hand, Cyberleek also released a kind of manifesto condemning industry practices such as digital pre-orders and “fake” DLC—content that is actually already finished but locked behind an additional payment. They demanded that Rockstar issue an official statement and a public apology, and even warned other publishers: “If Cyberleek can breach Rockstar, no one is truly safe.”

Angka-angka kunci dari skandal bocornya GTA VI, disusun oleh redaksi dari laporan Kotaku, VideoGamesChronicle, The Game Post, dan Sportskeeda (lihat Daftar Sumber). — Key figures from the GTA VI leak scandal, compiled by the editorial team from reports by Kotaku, VideoGamesChronicle, The Game Post, and Sportskeeda (see List of Sources).

Rockstar Fights Back, and a Second Group Emerges

Take-Two isn’t sitting idly by. In addition to issuing dozens of DMCA takedown notices—which many actually view as indirect evidence that the material is genuine—the company has also filed a federal legal complaint demanding that Microsoft and Discord disclose account data related to the “cyberleek” persona, including other aliases such as “CINEMATICROCKSTAR” and “Surfer24k,” along with device data, linked Xbox and Google accounts, and even the contents of OneDrive. Both companies have been given until September 4, 2026, to comply with the request.

The situation grew even more complicated when a second group emerged, claiming to have access to other internal Rockstar materials, separate from Cyberleek. This group is said to have gained access through a phishing attack targeting Rockstar India employees, and claims to have screenshots of the April 2026 build as well as development files related to the Xbox development kit. If true, this means Rockstar is now facing two independent sources of leaks simultaneously—not to mention the April 2026 ransomware incident that demanded the company’s confidential data.

Rockstar Keeps Moving Forward

Despite facing a barrage of setbacks, Rockstar is reportedly still committed to its official reveal schedule through its partnership with Netflix on August 27, 2026, followed by a YouTube livestream six hours later. The game’s release date of November 19, 2026, is also reportedly unchanged. Bloomberg even reported that internal management continues to encourage the development team to stay focused on their work amid the ongoing disruptions.

As of this writing, no official identities have been revealed, nor have any arrests been confirmed. What is clear is that the Cyberleek incident adds to the long list of leaks surrounding GTA VI, making it one of the most leaked games in the industry’s history—and it’s highly likely that this drama won’t end until the game is actually released.