GTA 6 Hacker Moved to Prison, Awaits Retrial
▼ Summary
– Arion Kurtaj, the hacker behind the 2022 GTA 6 leak, has been released from a secure hospital and is awaiting a retrial in normal prison.
– He was originally deemed unfit to stand trial in December 2023 due to a diagnosis of acute autism and was sentenced to indefinite imprisonment in a secure hospital.
– The retrial is scheduled for November 2026, the same month GTA 6 is expected to release.
– Kurtaj leaked 90 GTA 6 clips and source code while out on bail for hacking NVIDIA, using an Amazon Firestick, hotel TV, and cell phone.
– While in custody, Kurtaj exhibited violent behavior and expressed intent to return to cybercrime, according to a mental health assessment.
The cybercriminal responsible for the massive GTA 6 leak in September 2022 has been moved from a secure hospital to a standard prison facility, where he now awaits a retrial. Arion Kurtaj, a prominent figure in the infamous Lapsus$ hacking group, was previously deemed unfit to stand trial in December 2023 due to a diagnosis of acute autism.
At that time, a jury found him guilty of the hacks, and he was sentenced to indefinite detention in a secure hospital. This arrangement was meant to last either for life or until medical professionals determined he was capable of facing trial again. That moment has now arrived. BBC correspondent Joe Tidy confirmed on Bluesky that Kurtaj is currently in “normal prison” with a retrial scheduled for November 2026, the same month Rockstar Games plans to release GTA 6.
Details surrounding the case remain scarce. It is unclear how Kurtaj is being retried, given that his hacking activities occurred during a period when his mental state was severe enough to require hospitalization. Tidy noted on LinkedIn that he is actively seeking more information from authorities, but described the police response as extremely guarded, comparing it to “getting blood out of a stone.”
The scale of Kurtaj’s 2022 attack was staggering. He leaked 90 video clips of GTA 6 along with its source code on a fan forum. Remarkably, he was already out on bail for hacking NVIDIA and under police protection at a Travelodge when he breached Rockstar’s systems. He executed the entire cyberattack using only an Amazon Firestick, the hotel television, and a cell phone.
Officials documented violent behavior from Kurtaj while in custody, including “dozens of reports of injury or property damage.” A mental health assessment cited by the BBC noted that he “continued to express the intent to return to cybercrime as soon as possible. He is highly motivated.”
GTA 6 is scheduled to launch on November 19, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. For more on this highly anticipated title, check our dedicated hub.
(Source: IGN)
