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Arion Kurtaj–the 18-year-old culprit allegedly behind the massive GTA 6 leak that occurred in September 2022–recently had his day in court, according to a report from Reuters. Kurtah is standing trial for his involvement in multiple cybercrimes affecting GTA developer Take-Two Interactive, fintech firm Revolut, and Uber, according to the prosecution.
The court was also told that Kurtaj blackmailed Britain’s largest broadband service provider, BT Group, demanded a $4 million ransom from UK mobile service provider EE, and even hacked the City of London Police’s cloud server–with the last attack taking place just days after Kurtaj’s arrest for the Take-Two attack.
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Now Playing: Take-Two CEO Talks About GTA 6 Leak | GameSpot News
While all the businesses involved suffered negative effects, Take-Two interactive had a particularly rough time of it. The company’s stock prices tanked after Kurtaj allegedly leaked the purported release date of the long-awaited GTA 6. Also leaked were a collection of screenshots, including shots of the in-game map. Some overzealous players are even using the leaks in an attempt to construct a partial recreation of the game’s map. The incident even spawned an FBI investigation.
Take-Two developers were clearly heartbroken by the leaks, calling the ordeal “terribly unfortunate” and “really frustrating and upsetting.” The developers received an outpouring of support from fans and fellow devs alike, and the studio was very open about the the damage the leak caused.
Though he was 17 at the time the crimes occurred, Kurtaj is now a legal adult, and has been charged with a total of 12 offenses. Among them are three counts of blackmail, two counts of fraud, and six other charges related to the UK’s Computer Misuse Act. But after assessment by a psychologist, Kurtaj was found not mentally fit to stand trial, meaning a jury will decide whether he committed the crimes he’s been accused of, rather than providing a guilty or not guilty verdict.
A 17-year-old accomplice, who has not been named publicly due to their status has a minor, has also been charged alongside Kurtaj, though the younger hacker was apparently uninvolved in some of the attacks. Both Kurtaj and his young accomplice were prominent figures in a hacking group known as Lapsus$.
Aside from the info allegedly leaked by Kurtaj and other Lapsus$ members, little else is currently known about the upcoming GTA title. But statements made by Take-Two suggest a release date may be on the horizon, though fans are unlikely to see the game before 2024 at the absolute earliest, with 2025 more likely.
