GTA 6 Trailer Takedown Controversy Explained
The "Grand Theft Auto 6" trailer broke the internet twice this week: first when it leaked ahead of schedule and again when Rockstar released it for real. We've learned a lot from such a short glimpse into the game, like where "GTA 6" is located and who the main characters are. Since then, fans have been digging into all the small details in the trailer, but some content creators have run into a bit of roadblock when trying to share their reactions with their audience.
"GTA" publisher Take-Two Interactive has been hitting videos featuring the "GTA 6" trailer with copyright strikes. This includes YouTube videos, posts on X (formerly Twitter), and TikToks reproducing footage from the trailer. Even large outlets like IGN have been hit with these strikes, and Rockstar isn't the only source. Universal Music Group (UMG) has also been coming after videos featuring the trailer and the Tom Petty song it uses. This is just one way that Rockstar has reacted to the trailer leak, but it's a tactic that's getting a pretty vocal response from people throughout the gaming community.
Obviously Rockstar wants as much attention on the official trailer as possible, so it's not terribly surprising that the company is coming after some other videos. Maybe this is to be expected, but plenty of content creators have clearly been caught off guard by this move. While some have been quick to shrug off the takedowns and have just tried again, others have a bit more to say on the matter.
Actual footage of me trying to create timely GTA 6 content while dodging copyright strikes. pic.twitter.com/pWAPATp4oa
— Samuel Adams (@JampackSam) December 5, 2023
Two sides to every story
TheProfessional's YouTube channel is one of those affected by the copyright strikes. TheProfessional posted a reaction video that featured the entire "GTA 6" trailer, including audio, and Take-Two Interactive quickly filed a copyright claim. In a video addressing the issue, TheProfessional said, "If you're going to copyright claim YouTubers for reacting to the 'GTA 6' trailer, that's basically ruining your own game, because YouTubers ... get people more excited for the game." Take-Two later rescinded its claim, but then UMG filed one because — you guessed it — TheProfessional's reaction video included clips with Tom Petty's "Love is a Long Road."
A great number of commenters on TheProfessional's video were supportive of his take, but other "GTA" fans aren't so enthusiastic about reaction videos. Over on Reddit, some argued that reaction videos are drowning out the official trailer in their search results. Some fans even went so far as to celebrate the copyright strikes and called on YouTube to filter out content piggybacking on the official trailer.
Others are somewhere in the middle, arguing that fans are bound to get excited about something as big as the "GTA 6" trailer, and they're going to want to share their reactions and takes online. At the same time, it's not terribly surprising to see reposts of the full trailer getting hit by strikes.