Grand Theft Auto 6 is off to a terrible start and it will only get worse

After Rockstar Games announced a date for their big reveal trailer, I started to worry that the pent-up anticipation might genuinely be too much for the internet to bear. The baying masses have been salivating at the prospect of a morsel of news for years, and some individuals have even disrupted live events to call on Rockstar to share more information regarding its release. As portents of doom for the future of humanity go, its all been fairly depressing if not particularly surprising, but it speaks to something more destructive.

I do not believe this video game will survive its own release. We have come close on a few occasions recently to games being almost utterly destroyed before they even reach the finish line of commercial availability. The omens for Grand Theft Auto 6 are as poor as any we’ve seen. The trailer, which was supposed to be the grand unveiling, was leaked seemingly by a relative of a Rockstar staff member. This comes after Alpha footage (early concept software designed to showcase core functionality) of the game surfaced online last year. These leaks have racked up millions of views across the web, and if eyeballs are the currency of the internet then Grand Theft Auto 6 is a gold mine just waiting to be tapped. There is huge incentive for those with the opportunity to post anything they can get their hands on.

Leaks do more than just rob the developers of their moment in the sun; video games rely on an air of mystique and on the joy of delightful surprise when you fire up a game for the first time. What should be the biggest release of the decade could well be leaked dry of any excitement in the next 18 months.