GTA 6 leaker found unfit by psychiatrists
Experts have assessed that a teenager accused of attacking Rockstar Games last year and then releasing Grand Theft Auto VI footage has become psychologically unfit to stand trial.
Grand Theft Auto V and VI have both been on hold for an indeterminate length of time; Rockstar Games confirmed GTA VI exists, yet have remained tight-lipped about any further details; although Take-Two Interactive may have hinted towards a 2024/25 release window. Unofficially however, an hour of development footage and source code was leaked online in September 2022 for public consumption via various sources — in what has arguably been called one of the worst leaks the games industry had ever witnessed.
Rockstar Games quickly verified the accuracy of these leaks as they issued takedown notices for violators, giving fans enough insight to see that the game likely takes place in Vice City and features dual characters similar to Bonnie and Clyde in Jason and Lucia (Jason being one). One week after this cyber attack occurred on September 16, 23 September was confirmed as date by City of London Police that an 18 year-old Oxfordshire boy has been charged with hacking.
At that time, journalist Matthew Keys suggested the individual could be associated with Lapsus$ hacking group and appeared before court pleading not guilty in late September. Since then he’s been identified as Arion Kurtaj who now stands 18 and according to reports by Reuters psychiatrists have determined he’s unfit to stand trial; meaning juries now must determine if Kurtaj committed his acts instead of giving an immediate guilty or not guilty verdict.
As was widely suspected at Kurtaj’s arrest, he has also been accused of hacking taxi app Uber, tech manufacturer Nvidia and financial firm Revolut. Furthermore, mobile networks EE and BT may have also been affected. As such, Kurtaj faces 12 charges; these include three counts of blackmail; two fraud-related counts (three blackmail counts); six Computer Misuse Act charges as well as charges brought by an anonymous 17 year-old accomplice facing two blackmail counts, two fraud counts (two counts each) under Computer Misuse Act charges (reported by Reuters).
Reuters claim Kurtaj gained access to details for 5,000 Revolut customers and caused Uber $3 Million worth of damage, while also threatening Rockstar with GTA VI’s source code leak via staff Slack channel, demanding $4 Million ransom money from both EE and BT respectively.
