GTA 6's Leaked Trailer Just Broke The Internet

The day has finally arrived — but way sooner than Rockstar Games anticipated. More than a decade after the launch of "Grand Theft Auto 5" and the unstoppable juggernaut that is "GTA Online," players have finally gotten their first look at the next game in the "Grand Theft Auto" saga. After Rockstar Games teased that the first trailer for the new "GTA" game would debut in early December, fans became all but certain that this year's Game Awards ceremony would be the time and place for the big reveal. Then, Rockstar surprised fans even further by announcing December 5 as the trailer's true release date — and then, the leaks really kicked into overdrive. First, a TikTok user seemingly posted a confidential clip of the new game's map, revealing it to be a hyper-realistic update to a familiar-looking locale. Those leaks were quickly combated by Rockstar Games, and the hype continued to grow.

On the evening of December 4, the full 90-second trailer for the game has popped up online, less than a day ahead of the trailer's planned premiere date. The clip confirms a number of details that fans gleaned from last year's massive leak. "Grand Theft Auto" is returning to Vice City, for one thing. We also get our first proper introduction to Lucia, the first female protagonist in the "Grand Theft Auto" series. Oh, and the trailer also finally confirms two things that were still up for debate in fandom circles: For one, the game's official title is "Grand Theft Auto 6." For another, the game is still just a little ways out and will be arriving in 2025. 

There's no questioning it: The "GTA 6" trailer leak broke the internet, forcing Rockstar to quickly drop the genuine article before the company was ready. Did the trailer live up to years of hype and hope?

The trailer was originally on X (formerly Twitter) leaked by an account with the absurdly blunt username @Gta6trailerleak. Though that clip has since been taken down (along with the entire account), the damage was done. Copies of the trailer have since sprung up all over the internet as fans have screen-recorded the original post. As of this writing, thousands of people have already watched the leaked version of the trailer, which has been covered by an absurdly huge watermark encouraging people to invest in bitcoin. And for many denizens of the internet, this is a huge bummer.

Although there was an initial thrill to getting to see the trailer early, many fans have lamented the fact that the leak stole Rockstar's thunder after so many years of development. Not only was the trailer stolen from the company and uploaded without the dev's permission, but many people's first look was a compromised vision, complete with annoying watermark. Some are already joking about how badly this is going to go for the leaker when Rockstar figures out who they are.

Rockstar Games saw him leak GTA 6 and did this to his house https://t.co/96rdTN8jU4 pic.twitter.com/pJZROG9Tkk

— Wildest Moments on Cartoon shows and Movies (@toonsgowild) December 4, 2023

Regardless of how you feel about it, though, the cat is well and truly out of the bag. "Grand Theft Auto 6" exists, and it arrives in less than two years. Now the next phase of easter egg-hunting and internet fan theory-ing can begin!