GTA 6 leaks force subpoena of Microsoft for device IDs
The Digital Hunt for the GTA 6 Leaker: A Legal Cross-Examination of Discord and Microsoft
The digital world of gaming has just collided with the legal world of intellectual property when Take-Two Interactive initiated a massive data grab, launching two DMCA subpoenas against Microsoft and Discord. The goal? To track down the individual behind the highly sought-after gameplay leaks of Grand Theft Auto VI.
These aren’t just routine requests for names; Take-Two is asking for an unprecedented level of digital breadcrumbs. The subpoenas, filed in the Southern District of New York, demand that Microsoft and Discord identify the person responsible for the “CyberLeek” persona. More than just names, the legal team is demanding highly granular data, including MachineGuid and MSA device identifiers, registration and last-login IP addresses, phone numbers, linked Google and Xbox connections, and even OneDrive contents for every account that communicated in three specific Discord servers since June 1st.
The scope of the request highlights the deep interconnectedness of online gaming and corporate infrastructure. The subpoenas name specific servers that form the digital footprint of the operation: Ødyssey.gg, ! Odyssey, and DarkViperAU. By decoding the IDs associated with these servers, investigators have managed to place some of the activity back to specific dates, dating the DarkViperAU server back to January 10, 2017, and the Ødyssey.gg server to June 19, 2026.
This digital archaeology connects the leak timeline directly to the online activity. The investigation sought to trace the path of information, linking the leaked content to the platforms used by the leaker. Furthermore, the legal filings directed the request to Microsoft as GitHub‘s service provider, not as the operator of Xbox or OneDrive, emphasizing the complex network of ownership in the digital space.
The context behind the leak adds another layer of complexity. A sixth gameplay video leak emerged just six days before Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look was set to premiere on Netflix. This moment followed confirmation from Rockstar’s parent company that the game had been hacked by a malicious group known as ShinyHunters in April, who demanded a ransom or risk exposing confidential data.
The leaker, operating under the persona CyberLeek, has since made public claims, taunting Rockstar Games by publishing a manifesto asserting that the game was a full, working build and launching an attack against the notion of digital-only preorders. While the legal subpoenas continue to pursue the digital trail, the conversation between the hackers and the gaming giants has shifted from mere piracy to a complex confrontation over digital ownership and creative freedom.
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