It’s a hack-knocks life
Confirmed and commented on by a mix of industry insiders and developers (@jasonschreier, @corybarlog, @Neil_Druckmann etc.) as well as @RockstarGames themselves, this past Sunday shook the industry to its digital core by way of a massive GTA6 leak. A hack was responsible for at least an hour of leaked video, screen captures and code. Unprecedented in scope and scale, details spread quickly seemingly confirming or at least lending credibility to recent ‘Bonne and Clyde’ inspired story leaks. Namely regarding the two playable characters (one male, one female). Several pages of code, gameplay and debug menus were all posted online including a new prone position/prone movement similar to MGSV. Of note were palm trees dotting the landscape, as well as a bayou fan boat which may confirm the Everglades, or at least a lower east coast setting (eg. Miami Florida). Perhaps a return to Vice City? Details such as restaurant names, cop car districts, highway routes and street signs litter the scenery along with a snippets of NPC dialogue. The tail end of a robbery mission provided the longest run of uninterrupted footage, seemingly dividing the fanbase as far as excitement and disappointment. Keep in mind this leak is allegedly of an 18-month-old pre-alpha build. Expectations must be tempered. 

By the end of the week, an alleged perpetrator had been arrested in the UK. Police issued a statement saying “The City of London Police arrested a 17-year-old in Oxfordshire on suspicion of hacking. He remains in police custody.” As gamedeveloper.com notes, “The hacker was arrested in Oxfordshire and is said to be 17 years old.” The alleged hacker is also said to be a part of a group known as ‘Lapsus$’ and may have been involved in a recent hack on Uber as well.

Another high-profile hack was reported this week at 2K Games. A third party gained access to customer support and help desk prompting 2K to issue a statement which can be found at pushsquare. 2K warned users against “opening emails or clicking on links sent from 2K Support” as well as being wary of malicious links. Compounding these security issues, more than 40min of the Diablo 4 Beta was also leaked to Reddit from a Friends and Family internal build. A busy week in cyberspace, to be sure.

Detachable future
Insider-gaming made news by way of its sources that allege a new PS5 model may be incoming and feature a detachable disc drive. According to known leaker Tom Henderson, the overhaul will come sometime around the middle of 2023 with a new console launching come September. Insider-Gaming says “Sources familiar with Sony’s plans have shared details under the condition of anonymity outlining the next iteration of the PlayStation 5. It’s been suggested that this new console will completely replace the A, B, and C chassis that have been in production since the console’s launch.” The detachable disc drive is said to attach via a USB port in the back and should be available to purchase separately as well. This new D-model of the PS5 will apparently be sold on its own or as a bundle with the drive. Games Radar states that “the model D and its optional drive will apparently replace the disc and digital PS5 models that have been available since launch, with Sony instead pushing for a single console that gives users the choice of buying and playing off discs.” More on this as it develops.

Tencent acquires VIP
Tencent continued to make waves by acquiring, a person? Not just anyone though, but former Sony Interactive Entertainment America president and CEO Shawn Layden. In a statement, Layden (who left Sony in 2019) revealed that he will be joining Tencent as a strategic advisor. In a LinkedIn update courtesy of Gematsu, Layden states “In this new role, I hope to advise, assist, and support the team at Tencent as they deepen their activities and commitments within the industry to which I’ve devoted the majority of my career. We are at an epoch defining moment in gaming and interactive entertainment. There are many possible roads ahead but only a few are profound, broadening, inclusive, edifying, inspiring, and / or sustainable. I am thrilled to continue this journey of discovery and thank Tencent for the opportunity.”

Suit up
EA Motive who are currently working on the Dead Space Remake due Jan 27 2023, verified on Twitter this week that they are also working on a new AAA Iron Man as well. An “all-new single-player, action-adventure Iron Man game” to be exact. Experience-wise the studio has in the past “worked with the Star Wars license on Star Wars: Squadrons and DICE’s Star Wars: Battlefront 2.” EA states the Montreal studio project is being “led by Olivier Proulx, who brings experience working on past Marvel titles like Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy.” So far, so good.

To the surprise of no one
Speaking to Bloomberg, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella remains confident in the approval for its $69 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard Inc. Nadella stated that “Microsoft is either the No. 4 or No. 5 competitor in the video game industry, depending on how you count. So if this is about competition, let us have competition.” Bloomberg also reminded its readers that “the No. 1 player, Sony Group Corp., has made several recent acquisitions.” Should this deal go through, it will bounce Microsoft to the number three spot as far as world’s largest game company. As is becoming a weekly mantra, stay tuned. This matter is still far from over.