In the wake of Arion Kurtaj’s sentencing—a consequential figure behind the staggering leak of ‘GTA VI’ material over a year ago—a fresh breach has befallen Rockstar. This time, it involves the complete source code of ‘GTA V,’ their highest-selling game, disseminated across various channels and platforms, from sprawling Telegram groups to bustling Discord servers.
Kurtaj’s Link to the Breach
Linked to Kurtaj’s case is this recent breach: LAPSUS$, his hacker collective, reportedly spearheaded the dissemination of this code on Christmas Eve, as outlined by Bleeping Computer. Their messages clamored for Kurtaj’s release, accompanied by the #FreeArionKurtaj hashtag. Apparently, the group had possession of the code for months, surfacing in select corners of the Dark Web back in August 2023. A driving force behind its definitive release, as per a LAPSUS$ member, was to combat scams targeting game modders that utilized the source code as bait.
The Fortified Secrets Unveiled
The source codes represent the most heavily guarded secrets of successful games—a comprehensive blueprint of a program before it’s compiled into its final form, divulging every conceivable detail in its programming language. Safeguarding this code is imperative to prevent unauthorized copies and, unsurprisingly, modding.
We’re talking about 4GB of source code, pertaining to an early version of ‘GTA V’—not an exact replica of its eventual commercial release. Conceptual and reference images are included, along with a Python script file for ‘GTA 6,’ extensively scrutinized and seemingly lacking new revelations about Rockstar’s eagerly anticipated game slated for a 2025 release.
Projects Abandoned
But that’s not all LAPSUS$ shared. They’ve also disclosed intel on several canceled Rockstar projects, notably various DLCs for ‘GTA V,’ a ‘GTA Tokyo,’ and ‘Bully 2.’ The latter, undoubtedly, sparked significant online buzz and debates, stemming from the controversy surrounding the first game (known as ‘Canis Canem Edit’ in Europe), initially released for the PlayStation 2 generation, which performed remarkably well in sales.
The Bully 2 concept art looked so good!
Such a shame Rockstar canceled it pic.twitter.com/sXllpR8Ee4— GTA 6 Info (@GTASixInfo) December 25, 2023
Regarding the ‘GTA’ franchise-related material, the anticipated DLCs comprised one centered around Trevor, totaling eight (this information had previously leaked). As for ‘GTA Tokyo’ (presumably renamed to suit a fictional city), it was slated for the PlayStation 2, joining the ranks of ‘GTA III,’ ‘GTA Vice City,’ and ‘GTA San Andreas.’