FBI Arrests Suspect from Hacker Group that Targeted GTA and the FBI Itself

Oct 09, 2026 - 22:09

0 1

FBI Arrests Suspect from Hacker Group that Targeted GTA and the FBI Itself

Published Oct 9, 2026, 12:59 PM EDT

Austin Manchester is a writer and editor living in New York City. At Polygon, he covers gaming and entertainment news, reviews new video games, interviews behind-the-scenes talent, and more. He enjoys discovering hidden gems and sharing them with Polygon's audience. Previously, he was the gaming editor for AIPT Comics and has written for other outlets like XDA, How-To Geek, and The List.

He enjoys soulslikes, character-driven RPGs, and third-person shooters plucked straight out of the Xbox 360 era. He also likes to flex his non-video game nerdy knowledge sometimes, whether that's explaining who's who in the new Wolverine game or recommending a comic book series about a sentient sword.

The FBI is working to 'disrupt what’s left of the ShinyHunters group'

The hacking group ShinyHunters targeted Grand Theft Auto 6 developer Rockstar in April. It released financial information online after failing to procure a ransom from the studio, revealing just how much bank Rockstar makes from games like Grand Theft Auto Online. Last month, ShinyHunters got more brazen and hacked the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, stealing personal information of current and former FBI employees as well as people who had applied to work for the Bureau.

On Friday, the FBI announced it had arrested a suspect in Pennsylvania tied to the September hack. Sources speaking with The New York Times said the suspect was a "primary co-conspirator" in the FBI hack. His name or what specific charges he's been arrested on have not been shared at this time. His arrest follows one from last month when the Dutch National Police took one of ShinyHunters' leaders into custody.

"We will continue to work closely with our partners to disrupt what’s left of the ShinyHunters group and their associates, no matter where they operate," FBI director Kash Patel said in a statement.

Rockstar has been targeted by hackers and leakers several times in 2026

ShinyHunters has targeted more than just the FBI and Rockstar; it's gone after GrubHub, the European Commission, JCPenny, Carnival Cruise, and more this year alone. FBI cyber division assistant director Brett Leatherman has previously said ShinyHunters has extorted over $70 million after breaching over 140 institutions since last year.

While Rockstar may have met ShinyHunters' hack with little more than a shrug, the studio has been much more frustrated with a series of GTA 6 gameplay leaks in August. Hacking group Cyberleeks released a series of gameplay videos before GTA 6's extended look on Netflix. The leaks continued this week with a new video starring Jason in his birthday with his whole hog on full display.

Rockstar called those leaks "heartbreaking for our team" and "obviously not how we intended for you to see the game after all this time" in a statement. Gamers won't have to wait long to experience GTA 6 for themselves as it gets released on Nov. 19 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.