Take-Two Interactive shed roughly $2.83 billion in market value in under two days after new footage suggested that leaker Cyberleek is playing a live build of Rockstar’s unreleased game. Shares have since clawed back part of that loss, while malware disguised as the leaked build has begun circulating on piracy sites.
The new footage includes clips and images posted across several days. One video shows the character Jason spraying the word LEEK onto a wall with bullets, indicating the account controls a playable build rather than leftover test material. Other clips show a plane flight across Vice City and a cutscene about VPN use. Forbes reported that the build likely dates from 2025, though Rockstar and Take-Two have remained silent.
The leaks are tied to three demands concerning a disc release, no paywalled solo DLC, and full offline access, which serve as conditions to stop the drops. Reports have framed the campaign as an attempt to extort Rockstar over its all-digital plan. At the same time, Cyberleek's posts feature cryptocurrency advertisements, a paid poll, and links pointing to an apparent crypto scam, suggesting a monetized leak operation.
Market Impact and Stock Performance
Take-Two (TTWO) traded at $248.13 before the leaks spread on August 18. The stock subsequently slid to $232.84, marking a drop of $15.29 per share that cut about $2.83 billion from the company's market value. Shares later recovered to close at $240.15, leaving roughly $1.5 billion of the loss outstanding. TTWO trades 6.81% lower for the year.
Despite the market reaction, investors have experienced similar incidents before, such as a 2022 breach that leaked approximately 90 Rockstar clips without impacting eventual sales.
Security Risks and Upcoming Reveal
Fans face security risks as piracy sites promote downloads of the alleged GTA 6 build. NordVPN confirmed to IGN that these fake downloads are malware that has circulated all year and surged alongside the new leaks. Additionally, a fake app drained a cryptocurrency wallet after reaching Apple's store.
Rockstar still targets a November 19 launch for GTA 6, a date Take-Two confirmed in a July filing. An extended look at the game is scheduled to premiere on Netflix on August 27 at 3 p.m. ET.
