The alias of the individual who allegedly leaked the first Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA 6) trailer appears to have been revealed along with their secretive Telegram messages.
The long-awaited trailer was leaked to X one day before its announced release date of December 5th 2023. It was rapidly and widely shared, prompting Rockstar to launch the official version early on December 4th.
Now, X user ZachXBT claims to have identified the individual (or at least their alias) behind the leak. ZachXBT also shared screenshots of the individual’s messages on Telegram and provided a timeline of events which led to the leak.
ZachXBT wrote on X: “The GTA 6 trailer was leaked by a threat actor who goes by the alias Skenkir. He purchased access to a YouTube admin panel which allowed him to view the unlisted video early.”
According to ZachXBT’s timeline, two hours and forty minutes passed between Skenkir first mentioning they had access to the trailer and Rockstar confirming the leak.
If accurate, ZachXBT’s discovery provides fresh insight into the circumstances behind the trailer’s unauthorised release.
Insider Gaming reported on June 3rd that YouTube had launched an internal investigation following the GTA 6 trailer leak.
Tom Henderson wrote: “YouTube’s second investigation happened soon after the GTA 6 leak, which, admittingly, could have just been a wild coincidence. After all, it has now become common knowledge among those in the industry that many gaming leaks do come from unlisted, scheduled, or private YouTube videos”.
ZachXBT also said that Skenkir has been “involved in 40+ high profile SIM swaps since April 2023” and hasn’t faced any legal repercussions.
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