Teenage Boy Utilizes TV, Amazon Fire Stick, and Mobile to Execute GTA 6 Hacks
Those with even the slightest interest in Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto series will know that before the official release of GTA 6’s trailer earlier this month, the game was the subject of a massive leak the previous year. This leak included hours of unreleased gameplay footage, character models, and even revealed that the game would be set in Vice City, Rockstar’s video game interpretation of Miami, Florida.
Now you might be curious as to who was able to orchestrate such large leaks. According to a BBC report, this elaborate breach was masterminded by an 18-year-old teenager named Arion Kurtaj. Even more shocking is the method he used to carry out the hack. He is associated with the infamous Lapsus$ hacking group, but the GTA 6 hack was done in the confines of a hotel room using only an Amazon Fire TV Stick, a hotel TV, a smartphone and the hotel’s WiFi connection.
The BBC report further added that this hack cost Rockstar Games “nearly $10 million,” and the developer reportedly spent another $5 million to mitigate the aftermath of the act.
How did he hack Rockstar games?
It is surprising to note that Kurtaj was released on bail when he carried out the hack, reports the BBC. From his hotel room, using a Fire TV stick, phone and more, Kurtaj got into Rockstar’s Slack channel, where he got access to over 90 GTA 6 video clips.
Kurtaj, who hails from Oxford, has now been sentenced to temporary custody in a secure hospital, where he will remain for life. Worryingly, however, he has confirmed that he remains aggressive during his detention and wants to continue his hacking efforts if he gets out.
The official trailer for GTA 6 has been released
Despite the hacks and early leaks, Rockstar has managed to get an insane amount of Views for the official GTA VI trailer. Since its release, it has garnered over 155 million views on YouTube and 35.2 million views on X (formerly Twitter). In fact, the trailer broke many records; it has surpassed popular YouTuber Mr. Beast’s record for the most viewed non-music video on the platform within 24 hours of its release.
