A misleading video claiming to show leaked footage of the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI has sparked anger among gamers and reignited concerns about the impact of AI-generated content. The video, which was posted on X (formerly Twitter) but has since been deleted, was said to depict the main character, Lucia, exploring the fictional Florida. It reportedly received over 8 million views in just 24 hours.
The person behind the account, Zap Actu GTA6, revealed to gaming news outlet IGN that the video was intended to gauge public reaction and illustrate how easily the lines between reality and AI-generated media can be blurred in 2025. They made it clear that the project was not motivated by malicious intent, saying, “This was never done with malicious intent.”
Zap Actu GTA6 then described the initiative as a humorous prank to entertain the gaming community. However, the reaction from gamers has been largely negative. Many of the posts reacting to the ensuing exchange expressed displeasure, with one person condemning the behavior as “disgusting behavior” and another calling for the account to be banned. Some comments were filled with expletives, highlighting the frustration among the community.
On Thursday, the account apologized for the confusion and promised to only share “official and verified GTA 6 news” from now on, and only content that is clearly marked as speculation. They also claimed that they do not profit from the videos in terms of ad revenue from views or user engagement.
The backlash coincides with heightened expectations for Grand Theft Auto VI, the follow-up to the previous game in the series, which was released in 2013 and sold more than 200 million copies. Despite the excitement, publisher Rockstar Games has only released two short trailers along with a limited number of screenshots. Notably, no gameplay is featured in these trailers. Rather, it serves to introduce the characters and atmosphere of the game.
The game was originally scheduled for release in late 2025, but faced multiple delays, with the latest release date pushed back to November 19, 2026. When gamers search for information online, they encounter a ton of fake content, including fake trailers and alleged leaks. Many come with disclaimers in the fine print falsely claiming that they are fan-made or conceptual.
YouTube alone hosts numerous videos falsely claiming to have leaked Grand Theft Auto VI gameplay and footage, some of which have garnered more than 1 million views. IGN News Director Wesley Inpool said some creators may abuse viral engagement for monetization purposes or indirectly promote other products through platform descriptions.
Rockstar Games typically does not respond to false claims like this, but in the case of a genuine leak dating back to 2022, it responded by blaming it on “network intrusion” by a third party. The recent surge in fake posts also takes advantage of the internet’s AI capabilities. We saw this when a YouTuber was able to successfully guide Google’s AI summary search tool to spread fabricated claims about a game’s features.
Despite the continued challenges caused by misinformation in the gaming community, the topic surrounding Grand Theft Auto VI continues to garner significant attention and discussion as fans await more genuine updates from Rockstar.
