The 18-year-old hacker responsible for breaching Rockstar Games’ internal systems and leaking unreleased footage of the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6 has been handed an indefinite imprisonment order in a secure hospital.
The teenager, identified as Arion Kurtaj, is a member of the notorious hacking group Lapsus$, known for its attacks on major tech giants, including Microsoft, Nvidia, Samsung, and Uber. According to BBC reports, these cyber assaults cost the targeted companies nearly $10 million.
Kurtaj, already on bail for a previous attack on Nvidia, was under police protection at a Travelodge hotel when he executed the Rockstar breach from his room in September of the preceding year. Despite having his laptop confiscated, the court revealed that Kurtaj ingeniously hacked into Rockstar’s systems using unconventional tools—a combination of an Amazon Fire TV Stick, his hotel room TV, and a cell phone. Following the breach, he leaked 90 clips of early GTA 6 gameplay footage and the game’s source code on GTAForums.
Notably, Kurtaj, diagnosed with acute autism, hasn’t received a conventional “life in prison” sentence. Instead, he faces an indefinite hospital order, meaning he will remain in a secure medical facility until a mental health tribunal deems him no longer a threat to others. The term “indefinite” implies an unspecified duration; it could be a year, life, or anything in between.
This decision comes after a mental health assessment revealed that Kurtaj “continued to express the intent to return to cyber-crime as soon as possible. He is highly motivated,” according to reports by BBC.
Rockstar recently unveiled the first official trailer for GTA 6, which garnered over 90 million views in just 24 hours, setting records. Confirming that the game will partially unfold in Vice City, a fictional Miami setting, the trailer introduces a unique dynamic with a pair of protagonists, notably marking the first inclusion of a female lead in the series.
Grand Theft Auto 6 is scheduled for release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S in 2025, promising an eagerly awaited addition to the iconic gaming franchise.