Rockstar finally began discussing GTA 6 in 2023, sharing infrequent trailers and only recently opening up about gameplay details. Yet in spite of this secrecy, it has been victim to some of the most historic leaks in gaming. It started small. In 2021, Insider Gaming editor-in-chief Tom Henderson alleged that GTA 6 would take place in the modern day; Jason Schreier reported a year later that the game would feature a Latina lead and a Bonnie and Clyde-inspired story. The real powder keg came later in 2022 when a hacker by the name of teapotuberhacker posted over 90 clips of illegally acquired WIP footage, revealing the game to the world for the first time.
The problems run deeper than hacking scandals, however. During the employment tribunal concerning the dismissal of 34 employees earlier this year, Rockstar claimed that attacks against the studio are frequent. Not only have bad actors such as CyberLeek posted footage and leaked crucial details, but Rockstar alleged that drones have been sent to stalk developers through office windows, while hacking groups have even attempted to blackmail the company as recently as within the last few weeks.
Understandably, Rockstar has ramped up security to try and combat these attacks. After all, it’s developing the biggest game in the medium’s history, which has placed a crosshair on the studio’s front door. This, it alleges, is why 34 developers were fired. Not because of union organizing, but because of security measures.
During the tribunal, Rockstar alleged that it had gained access to a Discord channel referred to as ‘Room C’, which contained more than 300 people, including current employees, “disgruntled ex-employees,” competitors, and at least one journalist (via GTA Vice).
Rockstar claimed that “many, many pieces of information” referring to GTA 6’s development were shared and openly discussed in the server, which it deemed a major security risk. The company argued that Discord lacks the security assurances of its internal systems, and that it had previously blocked the platform to prevent leaks. However, former employees dispute Rockstar’s characterization of the server, arguing that it was primarily used for union organizing rather than to share GTA 6 development information.
The claimants allege that the 34 people who were let go were not given the opportunity to respond through the typical disciplinary process to explain this fact, and that the Discord channel in question was used by the Rockstar Game Workers Union. They allege that there was an individual within this Discord server (described as a “mole”) who informed Rockstar management for over a year of the group’s activity.
The allegations levied by both Rockstar and the claimants, along with the revelations of drone spying and blackmail attempts, come after just one day of hearings. The tribunal is scheduled to run until October 16, lasting approximately five weeks. The tribunal will no doubt offer further insight into the inner workings of Rockstar during the development of GTA 6, which has been plagued by leaks, hacks, blackmail attempts, and, most recently, mass dismissals.
سەرچاوەی فەرمی بە زمانی ئینگلیزی: https://www.thegamer.com/gta-6-blackmail-drones-spying-rockstar-reveals/
