Filed 18 August 2026 · Verified
Nine days before Rockstar’s own reveal, two minutes of gameplay and a claimed map of Leonida went online. Take-Two was filing takedowns within hours — the strongest signal available that the video is genuine.
Grand Theft Auto VI has leaked eight times in four years, and most of what circulates online under the word “leak” is neither. This archive keeps the two apart. Every event below records what was actually shown, who published it first, and how far Rockstar’s own behaviour backs it up — a public statement, a regulatory filing, a court record, or a takedown notice. Nothing here hosts, mirrors or links to leaked material.
RECEIPTS — Rockstar Newswire · Take-Two SEC filing · BBC · The Guardian · IGN · Forbes · Engadget · GTAForums · Eurogamer
A waterside house, a highway brawl, and a HUD carrying six wanted stars, a stamina bar and fuel gauges. Take-Two filed takedowns within hours.
Sources Insider Gaming · PC Gamer · Engadget · Notebookcheck
Published beside the clips and spreading faster than them. The Mapping Project calls the artwork too crude for a Rockstar asset.
Sources GTA 6 Mapping Project · GTA Intel · ScreenRant
LomBike docking animation cut to the Trailer 1 needle-drop, pulled from Vimeo the same day.
Sources IGN
All registered 27 May 2025, all reading like in-game websites. Every one had moved off within a day of the post.
Sources GTAForums · X (@TexFunz2)
Rockstar confirmed the breach the next day; Take-Two disclosed it to the SEC the same afternoon.
Sources IGN · Forbes · Take-Two Interactive · BBC News · The Guardian
Every row was observed on screen. None of it is confirmed by Rockstar, and the footage comes from an older build.
| System | What was on screen | Standing |
|---|---|---|
| Wanted level | Six star slots, one more than Grand Theft Auto V | Credible |
| Stamina bar | A bar that drains as Jason swings a wrench | Credible |
| Stealth indicator | A blue arrow filling as police close in | Credible |
| Mood icon | A face under the portrait that turns to a frown | Disputed |
| Fuel gauge | Two gauges on entering a car; a station on the minimap | Credible |
| Vehicle loadout | Loadout and Storage prompts at the boot of a car | Credible |
Rockstar has named six places inside the state and published no map. Everything past that list — counties, borders, area figures — comes from leaks or fan reconstruction.
Brought forward to 6:00 PM EST after a watermarked copy leaked the same morning.
Dropped without warning. Named Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos and introduced the supporting cast.
Netflix at 3 p.m. ET, then YouTube and the official site at 9 p.m. ET.
Digital pre-orders begin downloading; physical copies reach shelves.
A single-player game. No PC date has been announced.
The pre-order bonus stops being included with new purchases.
