Grand Theft Auto VI fans are expressing relief and celebration following the substantial crash of the Cyberleek memecoin, a cryptocurrency that the alleged GTA 6 leaker had linked to the release of further game footage. The scheme aimed to incentivize investment by promising more gameplay leaks as the coin's market cap increased.
Cyberleek had established a tiered system where various gameplay leaks were contingent on the cryptocurrency reaching specific market cap milestones, ranging from $5 million to $25 million. A more drastic threat involved the potential release of a massive, over 200 GB build of the game if the memecoin's market cap managed to hit $30 million.
Earlier in the week, several gameplay clips were reportedly leaked after initial market cap goals were met. These included footage that allegedly showed the character Lucia in a state of undress, and more recently, a "Lucia closeup 4k" video. Cyberleek had also stated an intention to release a new unauthorized gameplay video daily if market cap targets were achieved, further fueling the cryptocurrency scheme with polls designed to encourage spending.
However, the Cyberleek memecoin has since experienced a significant downturn. Its market cap, which peaked at $7.8 million on October 11, has fallen to approximately $1.7 million. This sharp decline makes it highly improbable that the $30 million target, or even the lesser targets for additional leaks, will be met.
Despite the crash, there remains a possibility that the leaker might release gameplay regardless of the financial targets. A more significant concern for Rockstar Games and its parent company, Take-Two Interactive, is the potential existence and release of a full game build. If such a build were to surface, it could be catastrophic, potentially inciting a wave of AI-driven projects that could undermine the eventual success of Grand Theft Auto VI upon its release for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S.
The prevailing sentiment among GTA 6 fans is one of schadenfreude. Online discussions show fans celebrating the cryptocurrency's failure, with comments such as, "Whoever is dropping money on this deserves to lose their money lol. You are begging to get scammed," and "Anyone who gave this moron cash deserved this. What the hell did people expect?" Many fans had previously urged others not to invest in Cyberleek, citing past analysis of cryptocurrency transactions in late August that suggested the leaker had already cashed out, reportedly earning around $270,000.
Recent reports have also cast doubt on the authenticity or context of some leaked gameplay. Fan skepticism has been noted around alleged footage showing both Jason and Lucia fully naked. In some of these clips, NPCs reportedly failed to react to the characters' state of undress, leading to speculation that such effects were achieved through developer menus or cheats rather than being indicative of official gameplay mechanics. One theory suggests these scenes might occur within a specific mission, such as at a nudist resort, but this remains unconfirmed.
Cyberleek had previously issued a threat to Rockstar and Take-Two, stating a full playthrough of the game's story mode would be released if the company failed to issue a public apology and release GTA 6 on physical discs, contingent on the $30 million market cap. While the motivations behind these threats are widely believed to be financial gain through the crypto scam, rather than a genuine campaign for physical media, the leaker had reappeared last week after a period of silence following major leaks in August. This reappearance included a 24-minute gameplay video purportedly featuring cutscenes, story elements, and both main characters in the nude, alongside a first-person camera perspective.
The origin of these leaks remains a mystery, given Rockstar's notoriously tight security. Take-Two has previously taken legal action, issuing subpoenas to platforms like Discord in an effort to identify the responsible parties. In August, Rockstar Games addressed the leaks, describing the situation as "heartbreaking" for the development team and "unfortunate" for players, while confirming the game's release date of November 19. The success of Take-Two's efforts to identify the culprits may depend on their ability to compel social networks and crypto exchanges to divulge any available personal information.