If you ever want to keep a secret, Rockstar Games is a good place to go for advice. The developer managed to keep a lid on GTA 6 for years, defending itself against some outlandish attempts to leak parts of the game.
The company is currently facing an employment tribunal over the dismissal of 34 employees late last year under contentious circumstances. Rockstar argues it was for gross misconduct, whereas those impacted say it was part of a concerted effort to quell unionization and they weren’t given appropriate due process.
During the proceedings, as several outlets report, Rockstar revealed the kinds of security risks it has faced while making the new Grand Theft Auto game. Attacks are regular, according to the publisher, and they come in a variety of creative ways.
Hacker groups have attempted to blackmail the company as recently as the last few weeks, according to testimony from Rockstar. This stands to reason, since there were an unfortunate number of leaks in the run-up to the extended look on Netflix. The anomalous group Cyerleeks was responsible for those clips, putting out over a dozen GTA 6 clips in motion, though it’s unknown if they’re the same ones who attempted to extort the studio.
Meanwhile, Rockstar had to employ specific protections on its own buildings to stop drone fly-bys. People were apparently using the hovering cameras to try to take screenshots or record in-progress builds of the upcoming crime sandbox, leading to privacy film being put over some windows.
This is the last hearing and will last five weeks, concluding in mid-October. We’ll see what emerges in the coming days.