Former Rockstar Developer Says GTA 6 Leaks Are a “Tiny Blip” Compared to Hot Coffee Scandal

The ongoing wave of GTA 6 leaks may look like a major crisis for Rockstar Games, but one former Rockstar developer believes the long-term consequences will be surprisingly small.

Obbe Vermeij, former technical director at Rockstar North who worked on GTA III, Vice City, San Andreas and GTA IV, has described the recent GTA 6 leaks as a “nothing burger”, arguing that they are far less damaging than one of the biggest controversies in Rockstar’s history: the infamous Hot Coffee scandal.

Most GTA 6 Players May Never See the Leaks

According to Vermeij, Rockstar’s strategy involves keeping GTA 6 under wraps for longer than most publishers, meaning the recent leaks have essentially resulted in footage appearing online earlier than Rockstar intended.

More importantly, Vermeij estimates that 90% of future GTA 6 players aren’t actively searching for leaked clips online, either because they don’t have the time or because they want to avoid spoilers. That 90% figure is Vermeij’s own estimate rather than official Rockstar or Take-Two data.

He believes Rockstar employees are probably annoyed by the situation but doesn’t expect it to meaningfully damage GTA 6’s enormous commercial potential.

GTA 6 Leaks vs. the Hot Coffee Scandal

Vermeij specifically compared the current situation to Hot Coffee, the controversial hidden sexual minigame discovered inside GTA: San Andreas.

The controversy became a major problem for Rockstar after San Andreas was re-rated Adults Only by the ESRB, leading retailers to remove copies from shelves until an updated version could be released. The episode reportedly contributed to approximately $50 million in lost revenue in 2005, followed years later by a class-action settlement.

Vermeij was at Rockstar during the controversy and described Hot Coffee as a “nightmare” for Rockstar’s New York management. By comparison, he considers the current GTA 6 leaks “far less consequential.”

Take-Two Is Still Taking the GTA 6 Leaks Seriously

That doesn’t mean Take-Two is ignoring the situation.

Take-Two has pursued DMCA subpoenas involving Microsoft and Discord as part of its effort to identify people connected to the recent unauthorized distribution of GTA 6 material. The legal action seeks information that could potentially help identify those responsible.

Vermeij nevertheless believes the controversy will eventually become insignificant compared with GTA 6’s expected lifespan, predicting that the game could continue selling for around 15 years and describing the current leaks as merely a “tiny blip.”