Rockstar Games and parent company Take-Two Interactive have officially drawn a line in the sand. Just days after finally confirming the Grand Theft Auto VI release date 2026 for November 19, the gaming giants are launching an aggressive legal crackdown on a bizarre new phenomenon: a wave of GTA 6 fake reviews and performance scores flooding social media. These illegitimate critiques, claiming to be based on "early insider builds," have racked up millions of views, misleading fans and threatening to derail the marketing momentum for the most anticipated entertainment product of the decade.
The 'Review' Scandal: AI Fakes and Manufactured Hype
The controversy exploded shortly after Take-Two's February earnings call, where executives solidified the holiday 2026 launch window. Almost immediately, YouTube and X (formerly Twitter) were inundated with videos titled "World First GTA 6 Review" and "PS5 Pro Performance Analysis." These posts often feature highly convincing GTA VI leaked gameplay 2026 footage that experts have since identified as sophisticated AI-generated deepfakes or heavily modded clips from other engines.
One particularly viral video, which claimed to show protagonist Lucia exploring a hyper-realistic Vice City nightclub, was debunked as a "social experiment" by a user known as Zap Actu. However, the damage was done. The clip had already been cited in dozens of bogus "written reviews" appearing on amateur gaming blogs, assigning arbitrary scores like "9.5/10" and discussing frame rates for a game that is still nine months away from hitting store shelves. This flood of misinformation has forced Rockstar to issue widespread DMCA takedowns, targeting content that presents speculation as fact.
Rockstar Games Official Update: The 'Canary Trap' Counterattack
Sources close to the development team suggest that Rockstar is employing a counter-intelligence tactic known as a "canary trap" to identify the sources of these leaks. By deliberately planting slightly different versions of false information—such as varying GTA 6 PS5 performance leaks or pricing details—across different departments, the company aims to trace any leaked data back to specific individuals. This internal tightening of security comes alongside the public legal threats, signaling a zero-tolerance policy for anyone claiming to have unauthorized access to the game.
In a rare move, a Rockstar Games official update addressed the community directly, urging fans to trust only official channels. "We understand the excitement," the statement read, "but any 'review' or 'score' you see today is undeniably false. The true experience of Leonida will be shared on our terms, when the game is ready." This direct communication highlights the severity of the situation; usually, the secretive studio prefers to maintain radio silence.
Take-Two Interactive News: November 19 is Locked In
Amidst the chaos of fake scores, the most critical piece of legitimate Take-Two Interactive news remains the hard confirmation of the launch date. During the recent investor briefing, CEO Strauss Zelnick reportedly assured partners at Sony and Microsoft that development is "on track" for November 19, 2026, with "no planned delays." This firmness is designed to calm investors and gamers alike, especially after the title was previously pushed back from its initial early 2026 window.
Pricing Rumors and Pre-Order Confusion
The fake review ecosystem has also fueled confusion regarding the game's price. Several of the "sketchy" leaks cited a standard edition price of $99.99 (or £89.99), causing an uproar online. While analysts predict GTA VI could indeed command a premium price due to its reported $1 billion development budget, Take-Two has not officially confirmed pricing tiers. The spread of these unverified price points is another symptom of the misinformation campaign Rockstar is currently battling.
Analyzing the 'Sketchy' Leaks: What to Believe
For fans eagerly awaiting the Grand Theft Auto VI release date 2026, distinguishing fact from fiction has never been harder. Legitimate leaks from 2022 confirmed the dual-protagonist setup (Jason and Lucia) and the Vice City setting. However, current claims about 60fps performance on base consoles or specific mission structures should be viewed with extreme skepticism. The "performance scores" currently circulating are mathematically impossible to verify without the final optimization code, which is typically finalized only weeks before launch.
As the November 19 deadline approaches, the battle between official marketing and the "leak industrial complex" will likely intensify. For now, the only score that matters is the date on the calendar. Until Rockstar releases the next official trailer, everything else is just noise in the machine.
