Take-Two's DMCA Subpoenas Over GTA 6 Leaks
Contents
On 20 August 2026, Take-Two filed requests for DMCA subpoenas with the Southern District of New York, addressed to Microsoft and Discord. This isn’t a rehash of someone’s social post — these are court filings, reported by Kotaku.
Below is exactly what’s being requested, what a DMCA subpoena means in plain terms, and — most importantly — what this filing does not mean.
What was actually filed
The requests are addressed to two companies.
| Recipient | What’s being requested |
|---|---|
| Microsoft | internal support and investigation records relating to the “cyberleek” persona, plus identifying data: account identifiers, registration emails, IP addresses, phone numbers, linked Google and Xbox accounts, device identifiers, and OneDrive content related to GTA, Rockstar or Cyberleek |
| Discord | data on members of servers linked to the names CYBERLEEK, CINEMATICROCKSTAR, Surfer24k, Odyssey.gg, and the DarkViperAU editors’ server |
Both companies have until 4 September 2026 to comply with the requests.
The stated goal is explicit: to identify the person or people believed to have infringed copyright, and to use that data to protect Take-Two’s rights.
What a DMCA subpoena is
Put simply, it’s a request for data, not an accusation.
A rights holder believes someone distributed their material without permission. The problem is that the rights holder can only see a username, a server or a file — not a person. So they go to court and ask it to order the service that carried the traffic to hand over whatever might help identify that person: which account an email is tied to, which IP addresses, which devices.
Three things worth keeping separate:
- Who the request is addressed to. The subpoena is addressed to Microsoft and Discord. That doesn’t mean either company is accused of anything — here they’re the parties holding the data.
- What it actually does. It compels information. It doesn’t award damages, ban anything, or establish guilt.
- What stage the case is at. This is an early, preparatory stage — working out who is even being talked about.
What this filing does NOT mean
This is where most of the confusion comes from, so let’s go point by point.
No court has found anyone guilty. The filings refer to people who allegedly infringed copyright. “Allegedly” isn’t a formality or a softener here — a finding of guilt happens in a different proceeding, one that isn’t part of these documents.
The leaker’s name isn’t given. There’s a username and server names — which is exactly why the company is requesting data in the first place. If you see a specific name, surname or hometown attached to “the GTA 6 leaker” somewhere, it didn’t come from these court filings.
Nobody has been “fined.” There are no sums of money anywhere in these filings, and we’re not inventing any.
Server members aren’t parties to a case. The request to Discord concerns data on members of the named servers. Being on a list that was requested and being a party to a dispute are two different things.
This isn’t Rockstar speaking. Rockstar Games had not publicly commented on the situation as of the date Kotaku published its report. Take-Two is the publisher and rights holder; this is its legal move.
If you like keeping confirmed fact separate from rumour, we’ve written separately about how rumours around GTA 6 tend to work and which sources count as official.
Context: what led to this
The leaks that prompted these requests continued daily for a week — roughly 17 minutes of footage as of 25 August 2026.
That’s as much as we can say about the material itself. We won’t be linking to it here — not directly, not with a “search for this” pointer. The reason is straightforward and not about moralising: it’s precisely the material whose distribution is now the subject of these court requests.
Why this actually matters to you as a player
Legal filings might seem like none of your business. But there are two genuinely practical implications.
First: the quality of the information. A leak is raw, out-of-context footage with no explanation and no guarantee it matches the finished game. Building expectations on it is the fastest way to end up disappointed by something the developer never actually promised.
Second: the risk to you. Distributing someone else’s protected material isn’t a neutral act, and it’s precisely the data of people who did that which these requests are now after. That’s reason enough not to forward these files any further, even “just to friends on Discord.”
⚠️ What we’re not claiming: that the subpoenas have already been complied with, that data has already been handed over, that anyone has been identified, that a lawsuit will follow, or that there will be any consequences for specific individuals. None of that appears in the documents available. The only known date is the compliance deadline — 4 September 2026.
A legitimate source is already scheduled
The best response to leaks is an official showcase, and one is already scheduled: Rockstar is showing Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look on 27 August 2026. The announcement is on Rockstar Newswire.
The difference between these two sources isn’t about morality — it’s about substance:
| Leak | Official showcase | |
|---|---|---|
| Context | none | set by the developer |
| Matches the finished game | not guaranteed | shows what’s meant to be shown |
| Legal status | subject of court requests | legitimate material |
| Presentation quality | raw footage | edited material |
What we’re expecting from the showcase, and how we’ll break down what’s shown, is covered in our piece on the Extended Look on 27 August. For the broader picture of what’s confirmed, see our what we know about GTA 6 hub.
In short
On 20 August 2026, Take-Two asked a New York court to issue DMCA subpoenas to Microsoft and Discord to identify people believed to have infringed copyright; the compliance deadline is 4 September 2026. This is a request for data, not a verdict: no court has found anyone guilty, no name has been given, and the legitimate source for new material is the official showcase on 27 August 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Did Take-Two sue the GTA 6 leaker?
No. These are requests for DMCA subpoenas — a request for user data addressed to Microsoft and Discord, not a lawsuit against a specific person. No lawsuit against a named individual appears in these filings.
What is a DMCA subpoena, in plain terms?
It's a court order requiring a service to hand over data that could help a rights holder identify a suspected copyright infringer. The service is the recipient of the request here, not the defendant.
Does this mean the leaker has already been found?
No. The goal stated in the filings is precisely to identify the person or people believed to have infringed copyright. No name is given in the documents, and no court has found anyone guilty.
What data is actually being requested?
From Microsoft: internal support and investigation records relating to the "cyberleek" persona, plus identifying data — account identifiers, registration emails, IP addresses, phone numbers, linked Google and Xbox accounts, device identifiers, and OneDrive content related to GTA, Rockstar or Cyberleek. From Discord: data on members of several servers.
When do the companies have to respond?
Both companies have until 4 September 2026 to comply with the requests.
What has Rockstar said about this?
Rockstar Games had not publicly commented on the situation as of the date Kotaku published its report.