Trailer leak sparks controversy, false information raises expectations
Details of the leak revealed
As the "Grand Theft Auto 6" (GTA 6) trailer was leaked in advance on X in December 2023, and new details with a "Buy $BTC" watermark were exposed, the truth gradually emerged. On Thursday, anonymous internet sleuth ZachXBT shared new information on the possible identity of the leaker, saying the person stole the official trailer from YouTube through unauthorized access. The trailer was then shared on X one day in advance, but covered with the "BUY $BTC" watermark.
On-chain detective ZachXBT wrote on The video that came out.”
Source: X-Chain Detective ZachXBT says the GTA 6 trailer was leaked by a malicious actor using the alias Skenkir
ZachXBT also added that Skenkor was involved in more than 40 high-profile SIM swap attacks, including those targeting Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, musician Steve Aoki, and prominent cryptocurrency critic Peter Schiff. ZachXBT shared screenshots of the leaker’s online interactions before the trailer leaked.
YouTube internal investigation
After the GTA 6 trailer leaked, YouTube launched an internal investigation to find out whether the source of the leak came from the film platform's backend. "To my knowledge, YouTube has twice investigated violations of contractual agreements in the past 18 months by employees who accessed content through its backend," Insider Gaming's Tom Henderson wrote last week.
If true, the GTA 6 trailer leak would be the latest in a series of privacy and security issues for the tech giant, including a Google employee accessing and publicly leaking private footage from Nintendo's YouTube account.
Source: ZachXBT YouTube management panel access permissions diagram
Market reaction: from expectations to disappointment
The expectations and doubts caused by the trailer
Due to the "BUY $BTC" watermark in the trailer, many players and investors once expected that "Grand Theft Auto 6" would support cryptocurrency payments. However, this news was quickly proven to be false information. GTA 6 developer Rockstar Games had planned to release the first trailer for the highly-anticipated game the following day, but they were forced to release it earlier due to a leaked low-resolution footage.
This leak of false information disappointed many players who expected support for cryptocurrency payments. One cryptocurrency enthusiast wrote on X: "This is really frustrating. I thought I could buy games with Bitcoin, but it turned out to be fake."
Security challenges in the gaming industry
Game leaks are not uncommon, in fact, games announced at the recent Sony PlayStation State of Play streaming event were leaked ahead of time. According to Dexerto, reports of backdoor access to YouTube accounts have been common since 2013.
Source: X Dexerto says YouTube investigated employees after GTA 6 trailer leaked
Rockstar Games expressed regret over the incident, but stressed that they will strengthen security measures to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. "We are reviewing all security protocols to ensure future projects are not compromised again," an insider said.
Disillusionment: GTA 6 has nothing to do with cryptocurrencies
As the trailer leaks unfold, the community's illusions about GTA 6 supporting cryptocurrency payments are gradually disillusioned. Many players expressed regret over this, and some even questioned whether this was a marketing ploy by the developers. However, Rockstar Games has categorically denied this claim, stressing that the leaked trailer was entirely due to the wrongdoing of an external attacker.
A spokesperson for Rockstar Games said: "While this is disappointing news for crypto players, we understand how such misunderstandings can arise and we will continue to focus on providing the best gaming experience for our players."
Despite the brief market volatility caused by the incident, anticipation for Grand Theft Auto 6 remains high. Many players believe that the game will be an important milestone in the next generation of gaming, whether it supports cryptocurrency payments or not.
In short, the GTA 6 trailer leak once again reminds us that in the digital age, security issues are still an important challenge that all industries must face. With the advancement of technology, how to protect the security of data and content will become a topic that every enterprise must pay attention to.
