Grand Theft Auto 6 is scheduled to be released in November 2026 (unless it’s postponed again). However, speculation regarding the highly anticipated Rockstar title is at an all-time high. A new (fake) GTA 6 gameplay clip reportedly shared on X (formerly Twitter) by a tipster named Zap Actu GTA6 is claimed to be a leak of “very serious circumstances”. The clip went viral, garnering 8 million views in just over 24 hours. IGN reports that the now-deleted video is not actual gameplay, but an example of a fake AI-generated leak. The video continued to spread widely, even though a community note was added to the post warning users about its lack of authenticity.All of this speaks further to a broader problem. Excessive hype for the next blockbuster game has led many users to accept fake leaks at face value. The same X account that posted this clip has also been posting similar fake videos with high views in recent months to gain followers and Discord members. Some social media users actually believed the now-deleted video was a gameplay leak. Zap Actu GTA6’s Discord account was flooded with new users and sparked backlash from other users asking whether the clip was an actual leak or an AI-generated video.
GTA 6 Fake AI gameplay leaker apologizes
After deleting the video, the leaker admitted his innocence and released a statement about X. The tipster claimed that the video was created to: “Watch how people react and demonstrate how easily the line between reality and AI-generated content will blur in 2025.” Zap Actu also apologizes “To anyone who has felt irritated, disappointed, or misunderstood by these posts.”ZapActu said it made no money from the posts and had no financial motive behind it. “This experiment”is currently in the process of deleting the post and closing the account.“I’m sorry if I gave people false expectations. I admit I wasn’t thinking things through. My original goal was simply to create hype and see if people realized it was AI. I never imagined it would go this far. I’m sorry to anyone I disappointed.” A French leaker wrote about X:
In a statement to IGN, the leaker said:Actually, this was a big joke and was done just to entertain the community. Sorry for giving you false hope (lol).”As for GTA 6, there’s still about 12 months left until the game’s release, so more convincing AI-generated gameplay “leaks” could surface online as fans continue to wait for an official update from Rockstar, and hopefully a third trailer.As AI becomes more accessible, misleading AI-generated videos are becoming more prevalent and impacting the entire entertainment industry. Celebrities such as physicist Brian Cox and actor Keanu Reeves have spoken out against deepfakes that use their likenesses, and Reeves sometimes pays companies monthly to remove fake content.The government is also responding. Japan recently asked OpenAI to prevent copyright infringement after Sora 2 users created videos featuring copyrighted anime and game characters. Sora 2 can create high-quality 20-second videos with audio, many of which quickly go viral online. Despite Japan’s concerns, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman described these AI-generated clips featuring copyrighted characters as “interactive fan fiction.””
