Just a day away from getting our first look at Grand Theft Auto 6, a leak has surfaced that claims to show footage from the upcoming game. As per GTABase.com on Twitter, TikTok account ‘azzarossi’ posted a video showing a quick panoramic view and scale of the alleged location GTA 6 is based in — a fictionalised version of Miami aka Vice City. The video also shows a Pißwasser billboard, an in-game beer brand that’s been ever-present in GTA games. While the account has since gone private, there is no way to verify whether the footage is real. The important landmarks, however, match with the massive data leak from last year, which exposed over 90 in-development clips into the wild.
The same TikTok user also posted a picture of himself alongside Aaron Garbut, head of development and co-studio head at Rockstar North, leading to speculation that the leaker could be the Rockstar Games employee’s son. While there’s still no evidence of the publisher taking down videos for copyright infringement, it’s kind of startling how the “my dad works at Rockstar/ Xbox/ PlayStation” meme turned out to be real for once. If true, the leaker has certainly got his father into big trouble at the studio for some online likes, despite having privated their account near-instantaneously. The last time the publisher dealt with leaks, an unnamed 17-year-old was reportedly arrested for hacking and being part of the group that claimed credit for the Uber leaks. Rockstar hasn’t released any statement regarding the leaks and now would also be a good time to block keywords on social media to avoid spoilers.
Meanwhile, the company is prepared to debut the first trailer for the next GTA game on Tuesday, December 5 at 7:30pm IST in India/ 9am ET in the US. While the internet is eagerly waiting for GTA 6, Rockstar has not revealed an official title for the game yet, so it could very well be a spin-off with a subtitle instead of being a numbered sequel. A countdown video is also now live on YouTube. There’s no word on a release window, but a May earnings report from Rockstar’s parent company Take-Two Interactive hints at a window within the 2025 fiscal year, which opens as early as April next year. Ambitions are quite high at the studio, which is said to be introducing its first playable Latina female protagonist and also increasing the number of enterable indoor locations for better immersion. There are reportedly two leads though, a crime couple that has been likened to the real-life Bonnie and Clyde, who went around robbing banks and stores during the Great Depression in America.
People online also tried matching the leaked clip with the real Miami City and found stark similarities between the two. Ahead of the GTA 6 trailer launch, Rockstar has altered its logo and got rid of its ‘Social Club’ branding, though its online multiplayer component still functions the same. Furthermore, the studio is launching its remastered Grand Theft Auto trilogy on Netflix on December 14, available to all subscribers and featuring graphical and mechanical upgrades.
Grand Theft Auto 6 will probably launch on the current-gen PS5 and Xbox Series S/X first, before heading to PC — as seen with previous Rockstar entries.