Rockstar silences GTA 6 leaker as Microsoft reshapes its studio ties

Rockstar has taken down the channels of a GTA 6 leaker who apparently recorded themselves playing the game, a move that may signal the end of a particularly persistent leak cycle. The Gamescom chief has weighed in on the broader significance of GTA 6 and Red Dead Redemption 2, calling them the north stars of gaming while noting that player attention will inevitably drift — most gamers, the argument goes, aren't loyal to a single title forever. A former Rockstar developer also reacted publicly to the leaks, adding another voice to what has become an unusually prolonged pre-release saga.

Microsoft will no longer share sales data with Circana, a sign of growing friction in that reporting relationship. Separately, Compulsion Games' buyout is now complete, meaning Microsoft no longer takes a cut from sales of South of Midnight. Double Fine, the studio behind Psychonauts, has also regained the rights to its games — the latest in a string of former Xbox-owned studios to reacquire their back catalogs, with Double Fine explicitly noting that purchasing their games now directly supports the studio.

Fortnite's new season has launched to complaints of bot-infested lobbies, with one player claiming matches contain as few as 25 real participants. SNK has reported financial difficulties as Tekken director Kohei Ikeda joins the company. The Blood of Dawnwalker will cap console performance at 40fps at launch, with no 60fps option available. And the Modern Warfare 4 beta has received its first update, adding a new map, a new mode, and reduced footstep audio.