SUMMARY
- The GTA source code was leaked on the internet this leaked data included some of the important details of Rockstar's projects and more.
- According to Reports Rockstar's systems were hacked back in September 2022. However, it was only leaked now.
Christmas 2023 was an unfortunate one for Rockstar Games after crucial company information was leaked. The GTA source code was leaked on the internet, taking the world by storm. This leaked data included some of the important details of Rockstar’s projects and more.
How did the GTA 5 source code leak?
Reports suggest that Rockstar’s systems were hacked back in September 2022. However, it was only leaked now. The GTA 5 leaked source code is allegedly part of the hack that contains a total of over 200 GB of files stolen from Rockstar Games. It includes information about GTA 5, along with references to other projects that Rockstar has been working on, such as GTA Tokyo.
This source code isn’t really entirely new, as this orginated from the 2022 GTA 6 leaks, where the hacker also got a hold on the GTA V source code but kept a major part of it private. For now the original link seems to be taken offline pic.twitter.com/aa2lEUrfSv
— GTA Focal (@GTAFocal) December 25, 2023
While some information revealed was about the active projects, it also revealed a lot of projects that have been canceled. The canceled projects include Bully 2 and Midnight Club 5 among others. Besides, as many as eight DLCs for GTA 5, were also canceled reportedly because of GTA Online.
Some reports also suggest that access to this larger repository of game files includes codes that can allow programmers to build a game and run it independently from Rockstar’s servers. The GTA 5 source code itself includes a 4.5 GB file containing the source code for GTA 5, obtained in 2022. The source code is being leaked via private chat groups on Discord and Telegram.
How was GTA 5 source code leaked?
A BleepingComputer report reveals that the source code for GTA 5 was leaked on Christmas Eve by an unknown individual. The user is identified simply as ‘Phil’ on a Telegram channel. The owner of the Telegram channel posted the links to the stolen source code. They also included screenshots of one of the folders.
In a separate post, the leaker ‘Phil’ reportedly pays homage to Arion Kurtaj, the key member of the Lapsus$ hacking crew. Arion was the one who leaked as many as 90 pre-release videos of GTA 6 back last year. 18-year-old Arion along with his 17-year-old aid were summoned by a UK-based court after the leak. After his arrest, Arion revealed that he conducted the entire hack using an Amazon Firestick from a hotel room.
Recently, Arion was sentenced to an indefinite hospital order after being pronounced guilty. He has been a key member in the gang’s attacks on several tech giants, including Uber, Revolut, Nvidia, and Rockstar Games.
It is reported that the attacks dealt combined damages of around $10 million to the victim companies. Rockstar Games alone claimed that the September 2022 hack cost them $5 million in damages along with “thousands of hours of staff time.”
During the trial, Arion was described as being violent while serving his time in police custody. Additionally, his advanced hacking skills and persistent desire to commit cybercrime led the court to deem him as “a high-risk figure.”
