Take-Two Interactive has issued a subpoena in federal court seeking information from Microsoft and Discord in its effort to identify the individual or individuals responsible for leaking Grand Theft Auto VI gameplay footage. The subpoena, filed in the New York Southern District Court and reported by Kotaku, is part of a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) request aimed at obtaining records associated with the "CyberLeek" account, purportedly behind the leaks.
One of the Discord servers mentioned in the legal filing is 'discord.gg/darkviperau,' identified as the DarkViperAU editors' server. DarkViperAU is the online alias of Australian content creator Matthew "Matt" Judge, who boasts a significant following on YouTube and Twitch and has recently published detailed analyses of the leaked GTA 6 videos.
In response to the subpoena and the mention of his name, Judge vehemently denied any wrongdoing or knowledge of the leaks. He stated on Twitter that the mentioned Discord server is not his and that neither of his Discord servers contain any clips from the leaks. Judge expressed confusion, speculating that his public commentary on the leaks might have led to his name being included in the filing, or that the leaker might have visited his Discord server.
Judge further addressed the situation in a three-hour livestream, reiterating his shock and confusion. He confirmed that he had "accidentally" shown a screenshot of a leaked GTA 6 video on stream but immediately removed it, emphasizing his desire to avoid trouble. However, he maintained that he had no part in how the videos initially appeared online and does not know the leaker personally.
He theorized that the subpoena might be a case of miscommunication within Take-Two, suggesting that the legal team may not have been aware of direct communication channels between Rockstar Games and himself. Judge pointed out that he has had numerous conversations with Rockstar employees and believes that if they had issues with his actions, they would have contacted him directly via email.
Despite the legal inquiry, the GTA 6 leaks have continued, with another gameplay video surfacing on August 21, reportedly four days after the initial leaks began. The latest leaked video includes a watermark stating "HIGHER MARKET CAP = MORE LEEKS," referencing a memecoin. This watermark has reportedly been traced by a GTA fan to a cryptocurrency exchange based in Seychelles, which could potentially aid in identifying the leaker.
The leaks have emerged just a week before the scheduled release of "Grand Theft Auto 6: An Extended Look," a timed exclusive trailer on Netflix set for August 27. The trailer will be available on Netflix for six hours before being released on other platforms like YouTube.
Neither Take-Two nor Rockstar Games have officially commented on the recent GTA 6 leaks or the court filing. Representatives for IGN have reached out for comment.