Former Rockstar North technical director Obbe Vermeij has played down the impact of the recent Grand Theft Auto 6 leaks, describing them as a "nothing burger" and saying he does not expect them to cause much lasting damage to the game.
Vermeij spent around 14 years at Rockstar North and worked on several major Grand Theft Auto games, including GTA 3, Vice City, San Andreas and GTA 4. He has now shared his thoughts on the potential impact of the latest wave of GTA 6 leaks, although he has said he has not watched the leaked footage himself.
Former Rockstar developer says most players will not care about the leaks
According to Vermeij, the amount of attention surrounding the leaked footage online does not necessarily reflect how the wider GTA 6 audience will react.
He estimates that around 90% of future GTA 6 players will not spend their time searching online for leaked footage. Many players will either never come across the material or will deliberately avoid it because they do not want to see parts of the game before release.
From Vermeij's perspective, the biggest problem for Rockstar is therefore the frustration caused by seeing unfinished material escape before the company's planned marketing campaign. He does not believe the leaks themselves are likely to have a significant long-term effect on GTA 6.
That does not mean Rockstar will simply ignore the situation. Take-Two Interactive has already taken legal steps seeking information that could help identify those behind the distribution of the material, while leaked clips and screenshots have continued to circulate online.
What has actually been leaked?
The latest wave of GTA 6 leaks has included additional gameplay footage and screenshots that appear to show parts of the game that have not yet been officially presented by Rockstar.
Some of the material appears to show Jason involved in combat encounters, including sequences involving security personnel and vehicles. Other footage appears to show smaller interactions with the game's environment and wildlife.
One of the more unusual details spotted in the footage is an apparent vehicle interaction called "Clone Key". The footage suggests it could provide another way of gaining access to a vehicle, although there is not enough information available to determine exactly how the feature works.
We covered these details in more depth in our earlier report, including the alleged vehicle mechanic, combat footage and the manifesto published alongside the leaks.
Read our previous GTA 6 leaks report →
It is important to stress that none of these details have been confirmed by Rockstar Games. The footage remains unofficial, and features visible in development material can also change or be removed before a game is released.
Vermeij compares the situation with Hot Coffee
Vermeij also compared the GTA 6 leaks with the much more serious Hot Coffee controversy surrounding Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
In 2005, previously inaccessible content in San Andreas became the centre of a major controversy after modifications were used to access a hidden sexual minigame. The situation resulted in regulatory action, a change to the game's rating and the game being removed from sale by many retailers.
Vermeij was working at Rockstar North at the time and considers the Hot Coffee situation far more serious than what Rockstar is dealing with today.
Compared with that controversy, he believes the GTA 6 leaks are unlikely to have much of an effect on the game's eventual audience. The leaked material may be frustrating for Rockstar, but it does not carry the same consequences as the issues surrounding Hot Coffee.
Not every GTA 6 leak video online is real
There is another problem for anyone trying to follow the GTA 6 leaks: not every video labelled as leaked gameplay is genuine.
AI-generated GTA 6 footage is also being shared across social media with some posts presenting completely fabricated gameplay as if it had come from the leaked game. Some of these videos can look convincing at first glance, making it difficult to immediately distinguish them from genuine footage.
That is one of the reasons we have decided not to publish or host the leaked screenshots and gameplay footage on Mastahhh Gaming Network. Rockstar Games and Take-Two Interactive are actively taking steps to remove the material, and we do not want to contribute to spreading copyrighted footage that was never officially released.
We have instead focused on explaining what has been reported and what can actually be seen in the material, while making it clear that the leaked information has not been confirmed by Rockstar.
We have also covered the growing amount of fake GTA 6 footage being presented as real in a video on our YouTube channel:
🎥 Fake GTA 6 Gameplay
▶ Watch the video on YouTube
Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look arrives August 27
While the leaks continue to circulate, Rockstar is preparing another official look at the game. Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look is scheduled to premiere on August 27, 2026.
The upcoming presentation will provide an official source for new GTA 6 footage and information, making it considerably easier to separate confirmed details from the material circulating through unofficial channels.
Until then, players should be careful with anything presented as "leaked gameplay", particularly on social media. A video being labelled as a GTA 6 leak does not automatically mean that it came from the game.
GTA 6 leaks are unlikely to change Vermeij's view
For Vermeij, the online attention surrounding the leaks does not necessarily represent the wider GTA 6 audience. Most eventual players are unlikely to spend their time searching for development footage, especially if they want to experience the game without spoilers.
His conclusion is straightforward: the leaks are certainly frustrating for Rockstar, but compared with the much more damaging controversies the company has faced in the past, he considers the current situation relatively minor.
For now, the leaked material remains unofficial, while Rockstar's next official presentation is scheduled for August 27. Until then, the safest approach is to treat unconfirmed footage and claims with caution and avoid assuming that everything labelled as a GTA 6 leak is genuine.
🎬 Don't forget: Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look premieres August 27 at 9:00 PM CEST (3:00 PM ET / 12:00 PM PT).
Rockstar's official extended look will premiere on Netflix before being released through the official Rockstar Games channels.
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Webmastahhh is the creator of Mastanet, a gaming and technology website where he shares news, reviews, guides and personal insights about games, hardware, software and the future of digital entertainment.
