Grand Theft Auto 6 maker Rockstar Games has issued a statement addressing a series of leaked videos showing the upcoming blockbuster video game.
Clips appearing to show gameplay and cinematics from the title began appearing online last week, but the developer did not acknowledge them straight away.
In a statement, the company said the leaks had been “heartbreaking” for the team working on the sequel, and that they were “not how we intended for you to see the game after all this time”.
The company apologised for the delays in releasing official updates on the highly anticipated title, but vowed to “exceed” fans’ expectations in a special preview airing on Netflix this week.
When leaks first began to surface, there was some doubt as to whether they were genuine.
But as the days went on, evidence mounted to suggest they were legitimate.
Copies of clips were quickly taken down from social media sites via copyright strikes, where the owner of a work can request its removal.
And, on Friday, Rockstar’s parent company Take Two Interactive launched legal proceedings regarding the leaks in a New York court.
Rockstar acknowledged players had been waiting for it to address the leaked footage, and said it was “unfortunate the intended game experience may now be impacted by some spoilers”.
It also thanked fans who sent messages of support over the past week, adding: “Your words have meant more to the team than you can imagine.”
The group behind the leaks claims to be acting in the interests of players, accusing Rockstar of engaging in anti-consumer practices such as its decision not to release a disc version of GTA 6 at launch.
Not everyone is convinced, as each release of new material has invited viewers to send cryptocurrency “donations” to the user uploading them.
