Image source, RockstarImage caption, Grand Theft Auto 6 tells the story of lovers Lucia and Jason
Grand Theft Auto 6 maker Rockstar Games has issued a statement addressing a series of leaked videos showing the upcoming blockbuster video game.
Clips appearing to show gameplay and cinematics from the title began appearing online last week, but the developer did not acknowledge them straight away.
In a statement, the company said the leaks had been "heartbreaking" for the team working on the sequel, and that they were "not how we intended for you to see the game after all this time".
The company apologised for the delays in releasing official updates on the highly anticipated title, but vowed to "exceed" fans' expectations in a special preview airing on Netflix this week.
When leaks first began to surface, there was some doubt as to whether they were genuine.
But as the days went on, evidence mounted to suggest they were legitimate.
Copies of clips were quickly taken down from social media sites via copyright strikes, where the owner of a work can request its removal.
And, on Friday, Rockstar's parent company Take Two Interactive launched legal proceedings regarding the leaks in a New York court.
Rockstar acknowledged players had been waiting for it to address the leaked footage, and said it was "unfortunate the intended game experience may now be impacted by some spoilers".
It also thanked fans who sent messages of support over the past week, adding: "Your words have meant more to the team than you can imagine."
The group behind the leaks claims to be acting in the interests of players, accusing Rockstar of engaging in anti-consumer practices such as its decision not to release a disc version of GTA 6 at launch.
Not everyone is convinced, as each release of new material has invited viewers to send cryptocurrency "donations" to the user uploading them.
Image source, RockstarImage caption, The game is set amid the underworld of Leonida, a fictional US state inspired by Florida
GTA 6, due to be released on PlayStation 5 and Xbox consoles in November, is still expected to be the biggest video game launch of the decade.
The previous game in the series, GTA 5, also broke records when it came out in 2013 and has sold more than 200 million copies since.
Two official trailers for the sixth game have almost 500 million combined views on YouTube, and the Netflix "extended look" on Thursday is being marketed as an event by the streaming service.
Next month the company is due to appear at an employment tribunal in Scotland to defend itself against claims it illegally sacked a group of ex-employees for trying to form a union.
It strongly denies the accusations, and says the workers were fired on the grounds of gross misconduct.
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