Fake video of “Grand Theft Auto VI” goes viral, sparking backlash

AI Video & Visuals


Text-to-speech icon

listen to this article

Estimated 4 minutes

The audio version of this article was generated by speech synthesis, a technology based on artificial intelligence.

Fake video attempting to show leaked footage of the next movie Grand Theft Auto VI The content, which has reportedly been viewed millions of times, angered gamers and raised new concerns about AI-generated content.

The video, which was posted on X but has since been deleted, purported to show protagonist Lucia walking through the game’s fictional version of Florida. According to gaming news site IGNwas viewed over 8 million times within 24 hours.

The person behind the X account, called Zap Actu GTA6, told IGN that the video was designed to “observe people’s reactions and demonstrate how easy it is to blur the line between reality and AI-generated content in 2025,” adding, “This was in no way done maliciously.”

Zap Actu GTA6 later told IGN: “This was a big joke. In fact, I just did it to entertain the community. I’m sorry for giving you false expectations (lol).”

Replies to Zap Actu GTA6’s subsequent post are still online, but they suggest gamers weren’t actually having fun.

One person called it “disgusting behavior,” while another called for the account to be banned. Many others included profanity.

Zap Actu apologized for the confusion on Thursday and promised to focus on posting “official, verified GTA 6 news” and “clearly labeled theoretical or speculative content” from now on. It also claimed that it receives no advertising revenue from video views or other engagement.

Fake videos are common

grand theft auto VI The series follows the last major entry in the series, which has sold over 200 million copies since its release in 2013 and was a perennial favorite for its online multiplayer material.

To date, publisher Rockstar Games has only released two short trailers and a few screenshots for this much-anticipated title. Neither trailer features any gameplay, but instead shows pre-produced cinematic scenes meant to introduce the characters and world, and set the overall atmosphere.

The game was originally scheduled for release in late 2025, but was recently pushed back to November 19, 2026. This is the second major delay since the first trailer was released.

However, if you search for this game online, you’ll come across a ton of fake screenshots and videos that claim to show new details. Some claim to be new trailers, with disclaimers embedded in the description that they are fan-made or concept videos.

Screenshots of video game clips on YouTube.
A search for “GTA 6” on YouTube will bring up multiple videos of what appears to be leaked footage from this hot title. Some of them have received over 1 million views. (YouTube)

IGN news director Wesley Inpool told CBC News that some creators can earn money from engagement on viral posts. But “this also has the potential for indirect revenue generation. You can also promote other products through YouTube video descriptions or online discussion forums like Discord,” he said.

Rockstar usually refrains from commenting on such videos and rumors. If they do, Impool said, “there’s probably not much else they can do. There’s something new.” GTA VI Rumors fly around almost every day. ”

However, Rockstar did respond to the actual leak of the game’s production footage in 2022, claiming that illegal “network intrusion” by a third party was the cause.

Fake posts that trick Google AI

AI not only facilitates the generation of fake videos of games that the general public has not yet played. It’s also easier than ever to spread the word.

Polygon reported earlier this year that a YouTuber named Jeffery Phillips tricked Google’s AI summary search tool into repeating a bogus claim that the game had a button that wiggled the main character just by posting it.g Repeating false claims on social media.

And eEarlier this month, some users received a Google notification on their phones about a new, so-called final trailer. GTA VI — Another fake.

Video game screenshot of an adult man sitting on a motorcycle. he has a gun in his hand.
A promotional image of Jason Duvall, one of the main characters in the upcoming video game Grand Theft Auto VI. (Rockstar Games/Take-Two Interactive)



Source link