Details have been revealed about how the GTA 6 trailer leaked. A full timeline of events and who did it was just published on Twitter by a well-known internet sleuth. Many GTA fans didn’t expect to get a glimpse into how it leaked, but here we are.
Setting up the stage
The GTA 6 trailer that leaked a day earlier will go down in history. Not only in the games industry, but also in internet history. It shocked fans and developers alike. Despite the craziness of that fateful night, some fans were curious as to how on earth it could have happened.
The leading theory was that the leak came from YouTube due to recent other gaming leaks that occurred prior to showcases premiering on YouTube. Thinking that a YouTube/Google employee with backend access had leaked the trailer, fans assumed something would be done internally.
We recently shared a report from Insider Gaming stating that an investigation was launched into Google shortly after the GTA VI trailer was leaked. It hasn’t been confirmed if this is the case, but it did add some support to the idea that a Google employee or some other bad actor stole the video from the backend of Rockstar’s YouTube channel.
How the GTA VI trailer leaked
Since then, crypto scam detective known as ZachXBT on Twitter has revealed the inside story of how exactly it leaked on December 4, 2023.
Zach claims that the person behind the leak is a “threat actor” who goes by the name “Skenkir.” This person has purchased access to a YouTube admin panel, the backend of YouTube. This gives employees full access to all channel videos, including those that are private. Zach shared an image of the trailer’s admin panel, which Google employees can see. It is not known how much the apparent Google employee was paid.
Leak timeline
Now the timeline and messages sent by the bad actor. At 20:50/51 UTC, Skenkir tells someone that they have the GTA VI trailer and they want to leak it with a BUY$BTC watermark. As we know, the trailer was indeed leaked with the text BUY $BTC. Skenkir also said they didn’t know where to post it anywhere.
A few minutes later, at 8:58 p.m., Skenkir offers this unknown contact a “little taster”. The logo and year of release from the trailer will be included. Exactly an hour later, the trailer was posted to Twitter on the account @Gta6trailerleak. It was viewed millions of times before Take-Two Interactive hit it with the copyright hammer.
Speaking of Twitter (currently known as X), the site’s owner Elon Musk claims he can’t play GTA because of the violence. Rockstar Games also teased Twitter about their current CEO, begging for the GTA VI trailer to be posted on the platform.
Known scammer
Zach also reported that Skenkir has been engaging in criminal activity for some time. According to the detective, Skenkir has been featured in more than 40 high-profile SIM swapping situations. The targets included people like Steve Aoki. All of these incidents have occurred in the past year.
SIM swapping is a form of phishing to receive a new SIM card with the victim’s number. This will clear the person’s current SIM card and allow the attacker to receive two-factor authentication codes to access accounts and data.
It is not the first time that a leak has been exposed. The teenager behind the incredibly major GTA VI gameplay leak was convicted for his crimes late last year. You can read more about that criminal case here.
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