Grand Theft Auto 5 hits store shelves on Sept. 17, but online retailer Amazon has already accidently released the game to some lucky fans who pre-ordered the game. Unsuprisingly, Rockstar is none too happy about the leak, and is now trying to pinpoint the cause.
The mistake may have been due to Amazon sending out products early to ensure customers received their pre-orders on time. Some members of the Amazon team may have misread or been given the wrong information about Grand Theft Auto 5's release date, and thus sent out the game earlier than Rockstar had anticipated. This move may be damaging to physical retail stores such as GameStop, as IGN is reporting that high-end video game retailers only received their copies of the game on Saturday, Sept. 14 with strict instruction that the games should not to be sold before the street date of Sept. 17. Rockstar released a statement about the GTA 5 leak to GamesIndustry International, and has promised to look into the matter:
"We are in the process of investigating early 'sales' to determine how and why that is occurring."
Due to the leak, many intrepid gamers who lucked out and got the game early have taken to Youtube and other outlets to show off the game. Several users have posted pictures of the game arriving at their door, and some have even posted videos of some of the game's early missions. Obviously, this is not the launch that Rockstar Games wanted, but it's also got the unintended bonus of creating a little extra hype; the leaked games have led to users posting early favorable reviews of the new open-world game.
While players who got the game early can check out the single player portion, Grand Theft Auto 5 Online will not be available until Oct. 1, so anyone who already has a copy will have to wait before they start forming and joining crews and running wild with their friends in Los Santos.
Look out for more Grand Theft Auto 5 news right here before the game officially is released on Sept. 17 on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.