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Investigating the GTA 6 Trailer Leak
New details are emerging about the leaked Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer that surfaced on Twitter in December 2023 with a “Buy $BTC” watermark. Pseudonymous internet sleuth ZachXBT recently shared insights into the possible identity of the leaker, suggesting that the individual obtained the official trailer from YouTube through unauthorized access. The leaked version, with the Bitcoin plug overlay, was posted on Twitter a day ahead of the planned release.
ZachXBT revealed on Twitter, “The GTA 6 trailer was leaked by a threat actor known as Skenkir. He gained access to a YouTube admin panel, allowing him to view the unlisted video in advance.” The incident timeline indicates that Skenkir first mentioned having the new GTA trailer on December 4, 2023, at 20:50 UTC.
Skenkir, as per ZachXBT, has a history of over 40 high-profile SIM swap attacks, targeting individuals like Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, musician Steve Aoki, and crypto critic Peter Schiff. Alleged screenshots of online interactions involving the leaker were shared by ZachXBT prior to the trailer leak.
Rockstar Games’ Response
In response to the leak, an anonymous Twitter account named “Gta6trailerleak” shared the leaked trailer for Grand Theft Auto 6. Rockstar Games, the franchise developer, had originally scheduled the official trailer release for the following day. However, due to the premature, altered, low-resolution leak, the company was compelled to unveil it earlier than planned.
Guy leaked the GTA VI trailer with a “Buy $BTC” watermark
Legend 💯
The trailer looks dope, it’s the most anticipated game in history.
A message the world needed to hear👏🏽
Study #Bitcoin pic.twitter.com/pfWsLofmsX
— Wall Street Bitcoin (@WallStreetBTCX) December 4, 2023
YouTube’s Internal Investigation
Following the GTA 6 trailer leak, YouTube reportedly initiated an internal inquiry to determine if the leak originated from the video platform’s backend. According to Insider Gaming’s Tom Henderson, YouTube has dealt with instances of employees breaching contractual agreements by accessing content on the backend in the past 18 months.
Game leaks are not uncommon, with titles revealed ahead of time, as seen in the recent Sony PlayStation State of Play streaming event. Reports of YouTube accounts being accessed through backdoor methods trace back to 2013. Both YouTube and Rockstar Games have yet to respond to requests for comments from Decrypt.
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