Take-Two (TTWO) Stock Falls as GTA 6 Leaks Trigger Subpoenas Against Microsoft and Discord
Key Takeaways
- •On August 20, Take-Two filed DMCA subpoena requests in the Southern District of New York requiring Microsoft and Discord to produce records, including registration emails and IP addresses, identifying accounts that shared the leaked GTA VI footage by September 4.
- •Take-Two's stock dropped from about $248.13 to the low $230s after the leaked content began circulating on August 18, wiping out roughly $2.8 billion in market capitalization at its lowest point, with approximately $1.5 billion of that loss still unrecovered.
- •Leaked clips, including one showing protagonist Jason spelling "LEEK" with gunfire, indicate someone is actively controlling a working build of the game ahead of its November 19 launch, according to Forbes analysts.
- •The Discord subpoena names servers associated with GTA 5 streamer Matthew Judge, known as DarkViperAU, who says he has no knowledge of the leaks and has not been contacted by Rockstar.
- •Fake GTA 6 downloads containing malware are spreading across piracy sites with no verified public release of a playable build, and the leaker has promoted a meme coin while reportedly demanding more than $164,000 in crypto for negotiations.
Take-Two Interactive is moving to unmask the source of a major Grand Theft Auto VI leak, filing DMCA subpoenas against Microsoft and Discord after unauthorized gameplay footage surfaced online and erased billions of dollars from the publisher's market value.
The fallout has hit Take-Two on three fronts: a sharp stock decline, an escalating legal effort to identify the leaker, and malware warnings aimed at players searching for the stolen build.
The leak has raised fears that someone holds a working build of the game ahead of its November 19 launch. TTWO was trading around $248.13 before the leaked content began circulating on August 18. The stock then slid into the low $230s before recovering to $240.15 — a swing that wiped out roughly $2.8 billion in market capitalization at its lowest point and left approximately $1.5 billion of that loss unrecovered. The sharp reaction reflects the franchise's weight: Grand Theft Auto VI is the follow-up to Grand Theft Auto V, which has sold more than 200 million copies since its 2013 launch and ranks among the best-selling games of all time.
Footage Points to a Working Build
The footage has been posted under the account name “CyberLeek” and includes multiple clips of previously unseen gameplay. One clip shows protagonist Jason using gunfire to spell “LEEK” on a wall — evidence that, according to analysts at Forbes, points to someone actively controlling the game rather than sharing old internal recordings.
GTA 6 leaker Cyberleek has updated his website and added a new contact section
He’s now offering paid “in-video ads” and “custom-made gameplay footage” based on his GTA 6 leaks
And just to contact him and negotiate a deal, he’s reportedly asking for $164,000+ USD in crypto.… pic.twitter.com/0SgTrhIbsL— GTA VI (@GTAVI), August 21, 2026 (X post)
Other leaked material reportedly includes aerial footage over Vice City and additional in-game scenes. Rockstar and Take-Two have not publicly addressed the source or the full scope of the breach.
The leaker’s campaign also has a crypto angle: promotional material tied to some of the leaked content has been pushing a meme coin, adding a financial motive to the breach.
Take-Two Subpoenas Microsoft and Discord
On August 20, Take-Two filed subpoena requests in the Southern District of New York demanding that Microsoft and Discord hand over records linked to the accounts that posted and shared the leaked footage. The filings invoke the subpoena provision of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which allows copyright holders to obtain identifying records for suspected infringers from online service providers without first filing a full lawsuit — a channel that has become a standard early step when publishers move to unmask leakers.
Microsoft has been asked to produce all records tied to the “cyberleek” persona by September 4, including registration emails, IP addresses, phone numbers, linked accounts, and any GTA-related content stored in OneDrive.
Discord faces the same September 4 deadline and must provide data on accounts connected to several servers, including those linked to handles such as “CYBERLEEK,” “CINEMATICROCKSTAR,” and “Surfer24k.” The subpoena also names servers associated with popular GTA 5 streamer Matthew “Matt” Judge, known online as DarkViperAU.
Judge addressed the situation on X, saying he has no knowledge of the leaks and is confused by his inclusion in the subpoena. He added that Rockstar has not contacted him directly.
Malware Risk for Players
A more immediate concern has emerged for players: fake GTA 6 downloads claiming to contain the leaked build are spreading across piracy sites, and reports confirm that some of the files contain malware. There is no verified public release of any playable build.
Context From Prior Leaks
The 2022 GTA 6 breach, which saw roughly 90 development videos published online after a network intrusion into Rockstar’s internal systems, did not stop the game’s momentum. A UK teenager was later sentenced in connection with that intrusion. Take-Two continued development and has since announced a base price of $79.99 for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S — above the $70 that has been the industry standard for premium console releases since the current console generation launched in 2020. Grand Theft Auto VI remains one of the most anticipated video game releases in recent memory.
The company also has an official event on the calendar: a Rockstar GTA 6 presentation is set to air on Netflix at 3 p.m. ET on August 27, followed by a release on Rockstar’s own channels.
Source: CoinCentral
