GTA 6 leaked footage ‘proven real’ after gamers manage to split legitimate gameplay from AI

As Rockstar Games continues to take down GTA VI gameplay leaks, a growing number of AI-generated videos are also appearing online, making it increasingly difficult for fans to distinguish genuine leaked gameplay from convincing fake footage.

The latest round of GTA VI gameplay leaks is causing all sorts of problems for Rockstar Games, with the footage spreading rapidly across social media. However, reports suggest there could be an unexpected reason why these new GTA VI leaks have emerged in the first place, with claims that the game’s digital-only release could be playing a role.

In recent months, the likes of Rockstar Games and Sony PlayStation have come under fire for seemingly ditching physical media.

Could Rockstar Games’ GTA 6 takedowns actually confirm the leaks are real?

That is the big question. However, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish genuine GTA VI gameplay leaks from AI-generated footage.

We’ve all likely encountered countless AI-generated videos while scrolling through social media, featuring everything from movies and actors to sports personalities. Now, AI-generated video game footage is becoming increasingly convincing, and GTA VI appears to be the latest game caught in the crossfire.

Perhaps one indication to tell if some GTA VI “gameplay leaks” are genuine could be whether or not Rockstar Games takes down the videos or leaves them be. However, Rockstar Games could take a video down because it looks so bad that it doesn't want it to stain the launch of GTA VI in any way.

“The alleged Grand Theft Auto VI map leak has been taken down by a copyright strike, essentially confirming that this one leak was legitimate too,” suggested X user NikTek.

READ MORE: 10 new mechanics confirmed in GTA 6’s latest leak as Rockstar held to ransom

How to tell if a GTA 6 leak is real or fake AI slop?

That’s a million-dollar question. As alluded to earlier, AI video content has reached such a level that it’s hard to see the difference between the genuine and the fake. That being said, there are a few telltale signs.

Unnatural character movements

This can be a telltale sign in videos that appear to have human characters. Look closely at the way their mouth moves when talking, their eyes when looking into a camera, and even how hair sways. These can all be signs. In the case of some leaked GTA VI gameplay footage, if a clip has an Unreal Engine 5 vibe, and something about Jason and Lucia's movements seems off, there’s a good chance it's fake.

Blatant inaccuracies

One of the leaked gameplay videos featured a Ferrari, as identified by the iconic logo badge. The thing is, GTA games do not use officially licensed cars; they create their own inspired by real-world counterparts. For example, GTA VI’s version of a Ferrari will be a Grotti. So if it's got a Ferrari badge, it’s most likely fake, and the same goes for other objects in its world.

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Objects changing between frames

We’re all aware of texture pop-in. Sometimes the buildings and environments far into the background might load up slightly later than objects closer to you due to rendering. But unless it's a glitch, they very rarely change shape. AI content can change shape with each frame. For example, WWE recently used an apparent AI-generated video to promote Dominik Mysterio in AAA. His belt kept subtly changing, and even included an AEW logo. So if items change shape or become something else entirely, it’s likely an AI-generated video.

Unreadable text

Any text in-game, whether it's on a logo or a subtitle, should be clear to read. On a far inspection, AI content appears to do this quite well. However, when you look more closely, you might not only see spelling mistakes, but letters that actually look nothing like the genuine version. If a GTA VI user interface, dialogue, or logo text has this kind of inaccuracy, it’s most likely fake.

Weird physics that look unnatural

We can all have a good laugh at ragdoll physics; they’re often made that way by design. But we’ve probably all seen fake celebrity videos that have limbs bend in weird ways, the transition from a side face to a front face looks odd, a character having six fingers; all are signs of AI-generated content. If anything in the GTA VI leaked gameplay appears to have unnatural physics, it’s probably fake.

The footage looks too good

We know that visuals in GTA VI are going to be amazing, but as the old saying goes, “If it looks too good to be true, it probably is,” and that could very well be the case with these leaks. If a clip looks too cinematic and looks like it’s been created using Unreal Engine 5, it’s most likely not the real deal.

Grand Theft Auto VI will be released on 19 November 2026, on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.