Take-Two Interactive, the publisher behind Grand Theft Auto VI, has subpoenaed Microsoft and Discord in connection with recent unauthorized video leaks of the highly anticipated game. The legal requests, filed on Thursday, target content that Take-Two says infringes on its copyrights for the title. According to the subpoenas, the protected material includes audiovisual content, artwork, images, dialogue, and other creative elements. The company is seeking to identify the individuals it calls alleged infringers, and both Microsoft and Discord have been given until September 4th to hand over the requested information.
The leaks in question consist of several gameplay clips that appear to show GTA VI protagonist Jason Duval, one of two lead characters in the game, performing a range of actions. These include driving, piloting an airplane, using a taser, and attacking another character with a wrench. The video footage is watermarked with the tag “CyberLeek,” which appears to belong to the person or group responsible for distributing the clips. In one instance, the player character spells out the word “LEEK” by shooting holes into a wall, a detail that has circulated alongside the other footage.
Neither Microsoft nor Discord has responded publicly to requests for comment on the subpoenas. The leaks arrive at a sensitive moment for Rockstar Games, the developer behind the franchise, as the company is preparing to debut an extended preview of GTA VI on Netflix on August 27th. The full game is currently scheduled for release on November 19th. The timing has made the unauthorized clips a focal point for fans and industry observers alike, even as Take-Two moves to protect its intellectual property through legal channels.
The subpoenas target two major US-based technology platforms, reflecting the broad reach of the leak distribution. Discord, a messaging service popular with gaming communities, and Microsoft, which owns gaming ecosystem platforms, now face a legal obligation to produce identifying details about users who may have shared the copyrighted material. This development underscores how video game publishers are increasingly using legal tools to police leaks in the digital age, especially for high-profile titles like GTA VI.
The leak activity has been building over the past week, with additional reports of a playable build of the game surfacing online prior to the subpoenas. Preorder momentum for GTA VI has also been described as exceptional in recent weeks, adding to the commercial stakes around the game’s launch. For now, the focus remains on the legal process, as Microsoft and Discord must respond to Take-Two’s requests by the early September deadline. The outcome could determine whether the individuals behind the “CyberLeek” watermarked clips are identified and face consequences.
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