Fake GTA VI ISO circulates on the internet a few days after leak, internet sleuths claim 113GB download is padded malware — testers claim file is 99.99% empty zeroes with 50KB virus embedded
Beware downloading unreleased pirated games folks.
A GTA gaming enthusiast highlighted on social media that a 113GB GTA VI ISO file is being shared online and asked their followers to “take one for the team” to confirm if it’s a valid build of the game. X user @GTAGolden_ did not mention where they saw the file, but it’s alleged that it was circulating on various Torrent sites. In a reply on X @Aidas29506493 said that they “did some reverse engineering” and confirmed that “it is fully fake and full of viruses.” Further analysis by the internet sleuths indicates that the huge ISO is mostly junk data alongside a 50KB virus.
did some reverse engineering.it is fully fake and full of viruses pic.twitter.com/An6VnSNTkdAugust 22, 2026
“The decompiled bytecode literally contains commands to whitelist the entire C:\ drive in Windows Defender (powershell Add-MpPreference -ExclusionPath %SystemDrive%\) and kill security software (taskkill -f),” Name said in one reply to their X post. They also added in another response, “It’s not 100 GB of actual code—it’s just a tiny 50 KB virus padded with 99.99% empty junk (literally endless zeroes).”
Grand Theft Auto VI is one of the most anticipated games in history, with Rockstar set to release an extended look on Netflix this coming August 27. However, someone has been releasing leaks of GTA VI gameplay and the entire map of Leonidas, where the game is set. The leaker, who goes by the name of Cyberleek, said that they are doing it because of Rockstar’s decision to release pre-selling digital copies of the game, which Cyberleek claimed to be anti-gamer. They then threatened to keep on revealing clips and snippets of actual gameplay until the publisher issues a public apology and promises “to be better.” Take-Two Interactive has already taken steps to identify the leaker, asking for the device IDs of every member of three Discord servers in an effort to plug or prosecute the leaks. Still, it appears that it will take time before the company could even identify the person or people behind Cyberleek, which could be disastrous as the leaks, so far, have continued daily.
The hype behind GTA VI, plus all this news of leaks and even a complete build, means that many gamers are curious about the game and are likely trying to find a copy online. Because of this, it seems that bad actors are trying to take advantage of the situation and are releasing fake GTA VI ISOs to try and spread malware. While it’s never a good idea to download pirated software online, torrenting an unreleased game is 100 times worse. That’s because it is more likely than not just a virus disguised as a build of the game. The best thing that any GTA VI fan can do presently is to patiently wait for the game’s release in November and to only purchase it as it becomes downloadable. It might even be wiser to watch reviews first before buying the AAA game, so that you know what to expect before spending your hard-earned money.
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Jowi Morales is a tech enthusiast with years of experience working in the industry. He’s been writing with several tech publications since 2021, where he’s been interested in tech hardware and consumer electronics.
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Math Geek "X user @GTAGolden_ did not mention where they saw the file, but it’s alleged that it was circulating on various Torrent sites"Reply
so twitter users are dumb enough to just download it and not even look at "various torrent sites" to verify if it is legit? seems about right from the average user base over there. it'll def be on the torrent sites but not until it is actually released in a playable form. if you don't know how to check if it is legit, then you should not be downloading anything EVER. wait and just buy it when it comes out. :P -
USAFRet Reply
I expect we'll see a couple of unfortunate victims in here.Math Geek said:"X user @GTAGolden_ did not mention where they saw the file, but it’s alleged that it was circulating on various Torrent sites"
so twitter users are dumb enough to just download it and not even look at "various torrent sites" to verify if it is legit? seems about right from the average user base over there. it'll def be on the torrent sites but not until it is actually released in a playable form. if you don't know how to check if it is legit, then you should not be downloading anything EVER. wait and just buy it when it comes out. :P -
NightKnight1337 113GB? That should have been a redflag right there, no way GTA6 would be that small.Reply
We'll be looking at 200GB at least -
TerryLaze Reply
The leak would be a pre release, very early early build and most probably very incomplete, so 113Gb could be plausible for something like that.NightKnight1337 said:113GB? That should have been a redflag right there, no way GTA6 would be that small.
We'll be looking at 200GB at least -
TheyStoppedit I was reading that the leaked build this guy has has music from 2025 in it. So here could very well have a near final completion build. And ya, 113GB would be peanuts for a game like this. 200 minimumReply -
Roland Of Gilead Reply
That's a wee bit harsh. It's not twiter agnostic. This applies to anyone who is a fan of the franchise, and just doesn't know better.Math Geek said:so twitter users are dumb enough to just download it and not even look at "various torrent sites" to verify if it is legit?
Suggesting that any discerning user check the validity of a download via torrenting is a wee bit off kilter. That's no way to check validity. Simple wait for the game release and purchase it or not. Then you know for sure it's a valid, playable build which isn't infested with all sorts of malware.
Yeah, maybe. Most AAA games releases nowadays are 150gb+. It's insane how much data is involved. They need to start finding some better compression tools.TerryLaze said:so 113Gb could be plausible for something like that -
Math Geek ReplyRoland Of Gilead said:Suggesting that any discerning user check the validity of a download via torrenting is a wee bit off kilter. That's no way to check validity.
there are multiple ways to verify such things. but as i said, if you don't know how, then you should 100% stay away from any part of that world. glad you're happy to buy it, i hope you enjoy it and i hope you're life changes for the better from being able to play it.
this is def not the place to go into any of it for sure but i can assure you it is not hard to check on such things if you know where to look. ;) -
millermatic "Because of this, it seems that bad actors are trying to take advantage of the situation and are releasing fake GTA VI ISOs to try and spread malware."Reply
In that it's bad actors (the people spreading malware) taking advantage of bad actors (the people trying to steal a game)... I have absolutely zero sympathy for anyone who gets malware from this. -
Bigshrimp Lol. Anyone that fell for it will have Grand Theft Auto'd their bank account to someone else.Reply -
usertests Reply
The obsolescence of HDDs can lead to storage requirements slowing down or reversing since duplication isn't needed anymore. Here is one dramatic example from 2025:Roland Of Gilead said:Yeah, maybe. Most AAA games releases nowadays are 150gb+. It's insane how much data is involved. They need to start finding some better compression tools.
Helldivers 2 devs slash install size from 154GB to 23GB, thanks to the help of PC port veterans — ditching HDD optimization, 85% size reduction accomplished by de-duplicating game data
It's not what I would expect for GTA VI. It will probably land somewhere between 150 GB and 250 GB.