After eight days of Cyberleek clips and no public response beyond DMCA takedowns, Rockstar posted a statement to Instagram on August 26. Kotaku and Engadget both published the full text the same day. It opens: 'We know that many of you have been waiting to hear from us regarding the events of the past week. It would be an understatement to say that having videos of Grand Theft Auto VI gameplay leak in this way has been heartbreaking for our team, and this is obviously not how we intended for you to see the game after all this time.' Rockstar then apologized for the wait, saying it is 'very sorry that everything has taken as long as it has' and putting 'getting the game finished (nearly there!)' first on the list of what took too long, ahead of sharing details and official gameplay.
On the leaks themselves the statement is measured rather than legal. It makes no mention of Cyberleek by name and no claim about the footage, saying only: 'While it is unfortunate that the intended game experience may now be impacted by some spoilers, we hope that everyone will wait a bit longer to experience the game for themselves on November 19.' On the reveal: 'We are very excited for everyone to see the extended look tomorrow. It has taken longer than we wanted to get it ready, but as with everything we do, we know we need to exceed your expectations.' It closes by thanking the people who sent messages of support, telling them 'your words have meant more to this team than you can imagine' and that 'ultimately, we are making this game for you, and without you, we would not have had the privilege of making games.' It is signed Rockstar Games.
Gaming Bible reported on August 26 that content creators attended a hands-off preview event at Rockstar North's Edinburgh headquarters in July. YouTuber TGG, known as TGGonYT on social media, confirmed attending, writing: 'Last month I was invited to Rockstar North in Edinburgh. While there, I learned exclusive information about GTA VI.' Rockstar confirmed TGG's post by liking it. The event was strictly hands-off, with devices confiscated before the session and no one present allowed to play the game. The embargo on everything attendees saw lifts on August 27, timed to coincide with the Netflix Extended Look premiere at 3 PM ET. Whether creators received access to content beyond what the general audience will see on the 27th has not been confirmed.
This is the first thing Rockstar has said in public about the situation since the first clips appeared on August 18. Fourteen Cyberleek clips ran across those eight days, from the NINE1NINE nightclub interior and a crowded beach to a strip club, a nighttime nudist colony, and several combat encounters. Hours after the statement went up, Cyberleek answered it by posting the first real story spoiler of the campaign, a clip of Lucia's prologue, which is covered separately. The Netflix Extended Look premieres on August 27 at 3 PM ET on Netflix and at 9 PM ET on Rockstar's YouTube channel, with creator preview impressions going live at the same time.