ShinyHunters breached 'GTA 6' developer Rockstar Games in ransomware attack

Rockstar can't stop getting hacked.
 By 
Alex Perry
 on 
Jason Duval in GTA 6
There should be a mission in the game where you steal the data back from the hackers. Credit: Rockstar Games

Grand Theft Auto VI is one of the most anticipated video games ever, and is quickly becoming one of the most prematurely hacked games ever, too.

Originally reported by Hackread and The Cybersec Guru, the prominent hacker group ShinyHunters claimed it had hacked GTA developer Rockstar Games over the weekend. The group said it was in possession of valuable data, and set a deadline of Tuesday, April 14 for Rockstar to pay up, lest the data be released to the public.

“Rockstar Games, your Snowflake instances were compromised thanks to Anodot.com. Pay or leak," ShinyHunters said in a statement on Saturday. "This is a final warning to reach out by 14 Apr 2026 before we leak, along with several annoying (digital) problems that’ll come your way. Make the right decision, don’t be the next headline.”


You May Also Like

However, Rockstar is framing things a little differently. In a statement to Kotaku, the company downplayed concerns about the material in question.

“We can confirm that a limited amount of non-material company information was accessed in connection with a third-party data breach," Rockstar said. "This incident has no impact on our organization or our players.”

Reports indicate the hack was focused less on personal data and more on corporate assets. In other words, it doesn't seem like player information is at stake here (as Rockstar said), but things like marketing materials could see the light of day before Rockstar intended.

If ShinyHunters sounds familiar, that's because the group was also responsible for major hacks of Salesforce and Bumble in recent years.

As for GTA VI, Rockstar had to do damage control after a major hack revealed some game details ahead of time, all the way back in 2022. With the game set for release in November of this year, hopefully, the leaks will end one way or another soon.

journalist alex perry looking at a smartphone
Alex Perry
Tech Reporter

Alex Perry is a tech reporter at Mashable who primarily covers video games and consumer tech. Alex has spent most of the last decade reviewing games, smartphones, headphones, and laptops, and he doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. He is also a Pisces, a cat lover, and a Kansas City sports fan. Alex can be found on Bluesky at yelix.bsky.social.

Mashable Potato

Recommended For You
Edtech giant Instructure strikes deal with ShinyHunters hackers prior to ransomware deadline
Instructure logo


Instructure breach update: ShinyHunters claim second hack, deface school websites
Instructure logo on mobile device

Hackers got data on 5.5 million ADT customers by phishing, report says
Logo for security company ADT on installation van parked on street

New ransomware wipes every file larger than 128 KB
Phishing Cyber Security Ransomware Fingerprint Email Encrypted Technology

More in Entertainment
How to watch Sinner vs. Djokovic online for free
Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates

How to watch Spain vs. Belgium online for free
Lamine Yamal holds out his arms at the World Cup

How to watch Sinner vs. Djokovic in Wimbledon 2026 online for free
Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates

How to watch Fery vs. Zverev online for free
Arthur Fery of Great Britain celebrates

How to watch France vs. Morocco online for free
Kylian Mbappe of France celebrates

Trending on Mashable
Wordle today: Answer, hints for July 9, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone

NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for July 9, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

Emmy snubs: Dropout gets overlooked for legacy and mediocrity
Sam Reich, Dropout CEO and host of "Game Changer," smiles.

FIFA World Cup schedule today: Games, kickoff times, livestream info for July 10
Lamine Yamal holds the ball

This MacBook Pro packs premium features for under $400
Apple Macbook Pro (2020) 13" i5 2GHz Touchbar 16GB RAM 512GB SSD Silver (Refurbished)
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!