Major GTA 6 release detail 'leaked' as Rockstar takes steps to keep gameplay secret
Grand Theft Auto 6 has been plagued by leaks for months, and publisher Rockstar Games is reportedly taking drastic action to keep its blockbuster title shrouded in secrecy.
The publisher was forced to concede that some of the leaks had been true when defending the decision to fire more than 30 staff members for allegedly disclosing private company information relating to GTA 6.
Now, as fans wait on tenterhooks to find out whether the title will actually be available on 19 November, the third and (hopefully) final release date we've been given, a major update appears to have been leaked by an industry insider.
The information comes from PPE's Graczdari, the same insider who leaked Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 was coming to PS5 before its official reveal and the release date of Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds for Nintendo Switch 2.
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According to the leaker, who is said to work within the physical video game industry in Europe, Rockstar's parent company Take-Two is not planning to release a physical boxed edition of GTA 6, at least for the initial release, in a bid to avoid any potential story spoilers or early gameplay footage from leaking.
Graczdari said: "We are getting more and more information that the boxed version will not be released together with the digital version to prevent leaks.
"We are getting conflicting information, with some saying that the boxed version will be released 3 to 4 weeks after the digital launch, while others say it won't happen until early 2027.
"More information will be available in mid-February."
After the news was shared to Reddit, one user commented suggesting: "If it's not a few weeks after launch then it's not to prevent leaks."
Another Reddit user agreed the delay would likely be nothing to do with preventing leaks and instead related to the profit margins of digital releases compared to the 'manufacturing costs and retailer cuts' of the boxed edition, but not everyone was convinced.
"Nah people are gonna act wild about GTA 6. I can 100 percent see people stealing copies and selling them early or something, posting stuff for clout, or any other type of deal they can make with early access," another user responded.
"This is one of the few cases where I believe the company's reasoning."
A fourth user added: "I believe it, Nintendo's games are literally always leaking early because of physical too. Mario Wonder leaked 1 or 2 weeks early and got dumped online, same for the new Pokemon game. I do highly doubt Rockstar is crying over this though, by doing this they're getting able to double dip."
Whatever the reasoning, the news hasn't actually been confirmed by Rockstar or Take-Two, so we'll take it with a pinch of salt until then.
Emma Rosemurgey