Hacker behind the biggest GTA 6 leak to stand trial. Kurtaj only needed a mobile phone and a Fire TV Stick for the act

The hacker linked to one of the biggest leaks in gaming history is no longer in a secure psychiatric hospital. Arion Kurtaj, who published dozens of videos from the in-development GTA 6 in 2022, has been moved to a regular prison. However, this does not mean he has been released – according to newly released information, he is awaiting a classic criminal trial in custody.

Leak revealed GTA 6 more than a year before the first trailer

In September 2022, approximately 90 videos from an early development version of Grand Theft Auto 6 appeared online. The footage showed unfinished gameplay, dialogues, and environments long before Rockstar officially unveiled the game. The attack was carried out by then-seventeen-year-old Lapsus$ hacker group member Arion Kurtaj.

The case also drew attention due to the method by which he gained access to Rockstar’s systems. Kurtaj was already under police surveillance in a hotel due to previous attacks and did not have access to his laptop. Even that didn’t stop him. He allegedly used a mobile phone, an Amazon Fire TV Stick, and a television in his hotel room to penetrate the company’s internal communications.

Rockstar stated in court that addressing the aftermath of the attack cost approximately 5 million dollars and thousands of employee hours. The leak remains one of the largest security incidents in the gaming industry to date.

The court did not address his criminal intent at the time

Doctors concluded in 2023 that Kurtaj was unfit to stand a regular criminal trial due to his health condition at the time. Therefore, the jury did not assess whether he acted with criminal intent, but only whether he actually committed the acts.

After the acts were confirmed, he was given an indefinite placement in a secure psychiatric hospital. He was to remain there until doctors determined he no longer posed a danger. The assessment that he was highly motivated and wanted to return to cybercrime also played a role in the decision.

Now he is in prison awaiting a new trial

Meanwhile, the situation has changed. British BBC reporter Joe Tidy stated that Kurtaj has left the secure hospital and is in a regular prison. The information could not be published earlier due to a court restriction, which the British High Court lifted on July 14 at the reporter’s request.

According to available information, Kurtaj has been re-evaluated as fit to stand trial, and a standard criminal trial is scheduled for November 2026. Therefore, the transfer is neither a release nor a termination of the case. On the contrary, it opens the way for the court to consider the case in the usual manner this time, including the question of criminal responsibility.

Exactly how the new trial will follow up on the 2023 decision and what sentence Kurtaj might face is not yet clear. Neither the police nor the court have publicly provided much information on the details.

Are you surprised that the hacker managed to get into Rockstar using only a phone, TV, and Fire TV Stick?

Sources: PC Gamer, The Guardian, Joe Tidy, Notebookcheck