Discord says it has not yet been served with Take-Two's GTA 6 leak subpoena, will evaluate any request
Discord has stated that it has not yet been served with a subpoena from Take-Two, the parent company of Rockstar Games, regarding the recent spread of Grand Theft Auto 6 leaks. The company's marketing director, Ryan Rigney, confirmed on X on August 24 that the platform will assess any future subpoena before responding.
Take-Two filed petitions for subpoenas of records from both Microsoft and Discord on August 20, seeking information related to the ongoing GTA 6 leaks. A federal court granted these requests the following day. The subpoenas demand data including registration and last-login IP addresses, phone numbers, and linked connections such as Google or Xbox accounts for users across two Discord servers: discord.gg/odyssey and discord.gg/darkviperau. The data requests appear to cover thousands of users, raising concerns about their breadth.
"I can share an update on this: Discord has not yet been served with a subpoena from Take Two," Rigney wrote on X. "When we do, we'll evaluate the validity and scope before responding." This statement came in response to a viral post that expressed worry that Take-Two was seeking data on users far beyond those directly connected to the original data breach.
The leaker in question has posted numerous supposed clips from the upcoming game, despite Rockstar's history of aggressively cracking down on unauthorised footage. Rockstar has responded with DMCA takedowns against the leaker's posts, which come from a profile that links to a manifesto demanding better digital rights and physical copies, and claiming to be raising funds for a secret project. The situation has even drawn the attention of Stop Killing Games, a video game preservation movement.
Microsoft's response
Microsoft has already indicated its willingness to cooperate with the subpoena. Xbox CTO Scott Van Vliet wrote on X last week: "We are working closely with Take-Two and Rockstar Games to support efforts to protect creative works and intellectual property." As a console partner for the Xbox Series X/S, where GTA 6 is expected to be a major release, Microsoft has a clear interest in maintaining a strong relationship with Take-Two.
The court petition included a potential September 4 deadline for both Microsoft and Discord to respond with the requested information. While Microsoft has signalled its readiness to comply, Discord's position is more cautious.
Discord's history with subpoenas
Discord's popularity among players has made it a frequent destination for sharing leaks, and consequently, a common target for subpoena requests from game companies. The platform has occasionally pushed back against requests it considers too broad. In a July 2024 legal dispute with publisher Nexon, one of Discord's lawyers wrote: "Discord is committed to fulfilling its obligations under the law, but acting as your copyright assertion partner is not one of them."
However, Discord has also taken action against servers accused of facilitating piracy, such as those for Switch emulators, which were banned following court injunctions. Discord co-founder Jason Citron has previously acknowledged that the company receives DMCA requests from time to time.
Public reaction
The comments on Rigney's post have highlighted significant concerns about user privacy. One commenter wrote: "No, you're supposed to just say no. Wtf do you mean you'll negotiate our privacy for ONE person?" Another argued that the subpoena "wouldn't stand up to a mouse fart," explaining that "you can't blanket so many users to get personal information on a game of Where's Waldo without some kind of relevance for each account."
It remains unclear whether Take-Two is following strong, actionable leads or simply grasping for any clues as fresh GTA 6 leaks continue to flood the internet. Rigney has indicated that he will post an update when there is one, but for now, Discord has not received any subpoena from Take-Two.