The hacker responsible for leaking the developmental stage of GTA 6 in September 2022 with over 90 videos is now facing criminal charges.

Discover the judge’s decision regarding the accusations against the hacker in the GTA 6 scandal.

GTA 6 Hacker Sentenced to Indefinite Imprisonment in Secured Hospital

According to the BBC report, the 18-year-old hacker, Arion Kurtaj, who was responsible for leaking extensive footage of GTA 6, has been sentenced to indefinite confinement in a secure hospital.

This decision by Judge Patricia Lee was influenced by both his criminal behavior and his acute autism.

Arion Kurtaj is a key member of the group Lapsus$. The gang has already accumulated “$10 million” worth of damage from harassing tech giants like Uber, NVIDIA, and Rockstar Games.

He’s responsible for leaking 90 in-game clips from Rockstar Games’ yet-to-be-released GTA 6. He threatened, stating that if they didn’t contact him via Telegram within 24 hours, he would begin disclosing the source code.

Sadly, he uploaded the clips and source code onto a forum using the username: TeaPotUberHacker.

Will He Ever Regain Freedom?

In a Reddit thread, Kurtaj vows that he will resume hacking tech giants once he is out of the current legal case.

The judge also added that Kurtaj’s skills and his desire to commit future cyber crimes remain a high risk to the community.

Additionally, some events occurred at the hospital while Kurtaj was in custody, resulting in some injuries and property damage. With that being said, he will remain at the secure hospital for life unless doctors deem him no longer a danger.

Basically, Kurtaj’s freedom depends on how he behaves in the hospital. And if he keeps acting like he’s going to cause trouble for the tech community, he could end up staying there for good.

Rockstar’s Reaction

Following Rockstar’s statement about the leaked GTA 6 trailer on their social media, it appears that they are completely dedicated to capturing hackers such as Kurtaj, and the possibility of forgiveness might not be considered at this time.

According to the BBC, Rockstar Games told the court that they lost $5 million and a significant amount of working hours due to the leaked footage uploaded by Kurtaj.

This means that half of the $10 million worth of damage mentioned above belongs to Rockstar Games alone. This explains Rockstar’s frustration, leading to Kurtaj’s arrest.

Arion Kurtaj’s Defense

In hearings, Kurtaj’s lawyers argued that the positive response to the GTA 6 trailer within the gaming community suggested that Kurtaj’s hack did not significantly harm the game developer.

They even requested that this information be considered when determining Kurtaj’s sentence.

Unfortunately for Kurtaj, Judge Patricia Lee said there were real victims and actual harm caused by multiple hacks on individuals and the companies targeted by Lapsus$.

How Did Arion Kurtaj Do It?

Want to hear something crazy? Kurtaj not only successfully breached Rockstar while his laptop was confiscated but also used an Amazon Firestick, his hotel TV, and a mobile phone.

Additionally, the jury was informed that while he was on bail for hacking tech companies like NVIDIA and BT/EE and under police protection, he still continued with his hacking activities and executed his most notorious hack.

Arion Kurtaj Had Some Help

According to the BBC, Kurtaj, along with another 17-year-old hacker, who is also currently in custody, and other members of Lapsus$ are responsible for the hacking of NVIDIA and BT/EE.

They even sent out a message asking for a whopping $4 million as ransom for the source code and user data they possess.

Kurtaj and the 17-year-old are the first members of the Lapsus$ group to be convicted, while the other members are still at large.

How Did the Community React?

The response was mixed: some admired his actions as a display of intelligence, while others felt sad, considering he’s just a teenager potentially facing a life sentence if he doesn’t turn things around.

Additionally, there was a thread on Reddit that will explain the community’s reactions based on this news alone.

A Redditor also mentioned that he should just be hired by Rockstar to prevent or fight other potential hackers in the coming years for the GTA 6 development.

Additionally, in a comment on Joe Tidy’s tweet, the author of the BBC article expressed discomfort about the hacker being confined to a hospital rather than facing the consequences for the crime committed.