By now you’ve probably heard that GTA 6 has leaked. It wasn’t just a leak either, it’s probably one of the biggest single-game video leaks in history that could have future implications for those who work at home.
The footage, images, and parts of the game’s code have made their way to the internet, with the hacker also teasing that there’s more to come in the future.
The hacker has reported via GTAForums that all of the leaks originated from Slack; an online workspace that became increasingly popular with developers since the COVID-19 pandemic started. Slack has become a preferred method of communication in gaming studios, but the recent hack could put the entire work-from-home environment in jeopardy as it’s proven to be a significant weak link in the game development process.
Now I’m not going to pretend that I know what I’m talking about when it comes to online security but having years of work obtainable by just one user and a password isn’t ideal. Of course, there are security measures in place. 2-factor authentication has become commonplace when it comes to protecting our accounts, but it’s not quite the same as having data protected by secure servers in a studio. Face-to-face communication might not be the preferred line of communication since the pandemic hit.
The recent hacks and leaks have almost certainly opened a can of worms for the entire industry, with companies now having the evidence needed to push the office environment back on their employees.
Rockstar Games has since issued a statement, stating that they do not anticipate any disruption or long-term effect on the development of its ongoing projects.