(Image credit: Rockstar Entertainment)

Guns blazing, wheels screeching, and cop sirens. With a whopping 169 million games sold, Grand Theft Auto V has made a name for itself by becoming the second most bought game of all time. Nine years since the release of GTA V, Rockstar Entertainment has announced a sixth entry in the works. Fans were ecstatic and speculations about GTA VI started flooding in, but it did not take too long for Rockstar Entertainments’ worst nightmare to become reality.

On the night of 18 September, a hacker leaked 90 videos and images of early development from GTA’s next entry, causing arguably the biggest leak in the history of gaming. These files were spread on GTA forums by a user that went by the name of “Teapotuberhacker” and included early development footage. It quickly became the number one trending topic on Twitter which made the leaks spread like wildfire. One of the many pieces of footage showcased two protagonists named ‘Jason and Lucia’ completing a heist. Although the files don’t spoil much about the story, rumors are stating that the protagonists are a hint at a revisit of Bonnie and Clyde. The leaks also showed the ability to swap between the two criminal partners, which is also an option in the current GTA V entry, but with three characters instead.

Allegedly, the hacker’s aim was to close a deal with Rockstar Entertainment, in threat of releasing more footage. However, it was unclear what he tried to get out of Rockstar Entertainment. On the 22^nd of September, London City Police arrested a 17-year-old on suspicion of releasing the GTA VI leaks. The teenager has also been linked to a cyber-attack on Uber, but he denies claims of hacking. The alleged hacker remains in a youth detention center.

Rockstar Entertainment released the following statement:

While many fans were ecstatic and praised their favorite game series after seeing early game footage that exceeded their expectations, many others found it devastating for the game developers. Regardless, Rockstar Entertainment has gained a lot of coverage and attention for its GTA franchise, and they are continuing development as planned for GTA VI.