The saga of the biggest leak in gaming history just got another chapter. Arion Kurtaj, the teenage hacker responsible for the infamous 2022 GTA VI footage leak, has reportedly smuggled a mobile phone into his UK prison cell — and he's making bold claims about Rockstar's source code.
What Happened?
According to RockstarIntel, Kurtaj has been communicating from inside prison via WhatsApp. In leaked screenshots of these conversations, he claims that the full GTA VI source code is already in someone's possession — and expresses surprise that it hasn't been publicly released yet.
"The GTA 6 source code is out there... I'm surprised it hasn't surfaced."
Snapchat photos reportedly taken from inside his cell also surfaced, showing Kurtaj at his cell door and sitting on his bed.
Who Is Arion Kurtaj?
For those who need a refresher: Kurtaj was a key member of Lapsus$, a cybercrime group that targeted major tech companies including Uber, NVIDIA, Ubisoft, and Revolut. In September 2022, while on bail for previous hacking charges, he pulled off one of the most audacious hacks in gaming history.
Using nothing more than an Amazon Fire TV Stick, a hotel TV, and a mobile phone (his laptop had been confiscated), Kurtaj breached Rockstar Games' internal Slack workspace. He leaked approximately 90 clips of early GTA VI development footage and threatened to release the source code unless Rockstar contacted him.
He was 17 at the time.
The Sentencing
A British jury found Kurtaj responsible for the hacking, but due to severe autism, he was deemed unfit to stand trial in the traditional sense. He was initially sentenced to an indefinite stay in a secure hospital. He has since been transferred to a conventional prison, where he apparently obtained the smuggled phone.
His next court hearing is scheduled for April 2, 2026 at Southwark Crown Court in London.
Should Rockstar Be Worried?
The big question is whether the source code claim holds any weight. If true, it could have serious implications:
However, it's worth noting that no credible evidence has surfaced to confirm that anyone actually possesses the complete source code. Rockstar and Take-Two have not commented on these claims.
The Bigger Picture
The 2022 leak was a watershed moment for Rockstar. It forced the company to officially acknowledge GTA VI's existence earlier than planned and likely impacted their security protocols significantly. The fact that the person behind it is still making waves from inside a prison cell speaks to how deeply this incident has affected the gaming industry.
One thing is certain: with GTA VI's November 19, 2026 launch approaching, Rockstar will be watching this situation closely.
*Source: RockstarIntel, GamesHub*