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GTA 5‘s Canceled Liberty City Expansion And Super Early Looks At GTA 6 Revealed Via Another Big Leak

Kotaku·

Rockstar Games, the developers behind the Grand Theft Auto series, are once again facing the fallout from a major data breach, as a rumored 190GB trove of previously leaked material has now reportedly been dumped online in its entirety. This isn't a brand-new hack, but rather the full public release of data that was originally part of the massive September 2022 leak, which saw a significant amount of early GTA 6 development footage and assets appear online.

The newly accessible data is said to contain an array of fascinating insights into Rockstar's past and future projects. Among the most talked-about elements are details surrounding a canceled single-player expansion for Grand Theft Auto V that would have allowed players to return to Liberty City, the iconic setting of GTA III and GTA IV. This scrapped content provides a peek into what could have been for the highly successful game.

Even more significantly, the dump reportedly includes even earlier glimpses into the nascent stages of GTA 6's development, potentially predating much of the footage that surfaced in 2022. These materials likely reveal foundational concepts, very early builds, and perhaps even scrapped ideas for the highly anticipated sequel. The leak essentially offers a deep dive into the messy, evolving process of game development, showcasing content far from its polished, final form.

The revelation has sparked a mixed reaction across the gaming community. While fans are undoubtedly thrilled to comb through the unearthed details, developers at Rockstar Games are likely grappling with the frustration of seeing years of their private work, including discarded concepts and highly confidential early builds, laid bare for public scrutiny once again.

Our take

Live commentary on a developing story, not a final verdict.

Oh, Rockstar, you just can't catch a break, can you? Just when the internet almost started to forget the epic faceplant of the 2022 GTA 6 leak, here comes the director's cut. It's like the internet equivalent of finding an old box of embarrassing childhood photos and then having someone just dump them all on your ex's doorstep. This isn't just a peek behind the curtain; it's a full-on theatrical production of every rough draft, every discarded idea, and every pixelated baby step a game takes.

On one hand, the sheer volume of this data dump is incredible for anyone obsessed with gaming history and development cycles. A canceled Liberty City expansion for GTA V? That's pure fan-fiction gold suddenly made real. And early GTA 6 looks, even if they're just glorified stick figures running around, fuel the hype monster like nothing else. But let's be real: this is a colossal headache for Rockstar. Imagine pouring years of your life into creative work, only for some hacker to essentially publish your unfinished, unedited notebook to the world. It’s a breach of privacy and a violation of the creative process.

Ultimately, this saga is a harsh reminder that in the digital age, 'confidential' often means 'temporarily not public.' For the developers, it's a painful exposure; for the rest of us, it’s prime digital drama fuel. The internet wanted GTA 6 details, and by hook or by crook, it seems determined to get them, regardless of how many sacred development cows get sacrificed in the process.

This is our take on a developing story, not the final word — read the original reporting at Kotaku ↗

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