The hacker responsible for a significant “Grand Theft Auto VI” leak has been given an indefinite hospital order, as reported by the BBC. Arion Kurtaj, an 18-year-old hacker, orchestrated the leak by hacking Rockstar Games, leading to the release of gameplay videos for the highly anticipated game in 2022. The indefinite hospital order means that Kurtaj, who is autistic, will be involuntarily hospitalized for life unless doctors determine that he is no longer a danger to the public.
Kurtaj committed the crime while under police protection and on bail after previously infiltrating Nvidia and BT/EE, according to the court. He was a member of the hacking group Lapsus$, known for targeting companies like Rockstar, Nvidia, and Uber, resulting in substantial financial losses for the affected companies.
The hack in September 2022 exposed more than 90 videos of an early version of “GTA VI.” Kurtaj, using the username TeaPotUberHacker, reportedly gained unauthorized access to Rockstar through its Slack platform. The leak revealed crucial details about the game, such as its setting in a fictional version of Miami, prompting Rockstar to express extreme disappointment.
Despite the leak, Rockstar officially unveiled the “GTA VI” trailer in early December. The trailer garnered significant attention, amassing 93 million views on YouTube within the first 24 hours. It is noteworthy that Rockstar had previously faced leaks, with reports suggesting a potential leak from the child of a Rockstar employee.
As of now, Rockstar has not provided a response to requests for comment on the matter.