GTA 6 hacker Arion Kurtaj moved to regular prison ahead of retrial

Arion Kurtaj, the teenager responsible for the 2022 Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6) leak, has been moved from a secure medical clinic to a standard prison facility.

Authorities transferred the Lapsus$ hacking group member ahead of a retrial set for November 2026, according to BBC journalist Joe Tidy.

The trial is set at the same time, aligning with the worldwide release of GTA 6, scheduled for November 19, 2026.

In December 2023, a British judge sentenced Kurtaj to indefinite detention in a secure hospital after medical professionals diagnosed him with acute autism and found him unfit to stand trial. The decision followed reports of behavioral incidents in police custody and assessments suggesting he was likely to attempt further cybercrimes.

The move to a standard prison indicates that medical experts now consider Kurtaj fit to stand trial.

Kurtaj was involved in a significant cybersecurity breach in the gaming industry. While out on bail for hacking Nvidia, police placed him in a Travelodge hotel for his safety. Despite close monitoring and without access to his computer, he managed to access Rockstar Games using an Amazon Firestick, a hotel television, and a smartphone.

The 2022 cyberattack led to the unauthorized release of 90 confidential gameplay clips and source code on an online fan forum. The game development was confirmed by the studio earlier as a result.

Details about the upcoming legal proceedings remain limited, as law enforcement has not released information about the trial’s preparation. The case highlights ongoing concerns in the cybersecurity industry about insider threats and authentication vulnerabilities.

Rockstar Games has not commented on the legal developments. The vdeo gaming platform is focused on the launch in November this year for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles. Pre-orders are currently available, but developers have not confirmed a release date for a PC version.