Rockstar Owner Take-Two Sues PlayerAuctions for Allegedly Selling Hacked GTA Online Accounts and Currency

Rockstar proprietor Take-Two Interactive is suing online marketplace PlayerAuctions, alleging it contains "thousands of listings for unauthorized, infringing GTA V contented – including heavy modified subordinate accounts, in-game assets, and virtual currency – each gained by utilizing hacking software, cheats, and method exploits."

The suit was filed past week successful the U.S. Central District Court of California against the Chinese institution that owns the website, Paiao Network Technology. It accuses PlayerAuctions of operating "with afloat cognition that its sellers are engaged successful rampant infringement and different unauthorized conduct," portion it "reaps millions successful gross by taking a chopped of each transaction connected its marketplace."

Specifically, Take-Two alleges that PlayerAuctions hosts listings of modded accounts that person been manipulated to springiness precocious crippled levels and in-game currency, oregon to unlock contented usually unlocked done playing oregon purchases. Take-Two besides claims PlayerAuctions sells wealth driblet services that enactment utilizing hacking bundle to springiness purchasing players ample amounts of in-game money, and relationship boosting services wherever sellers usage hacking bundle oregon glitches to inflate a purchasing player's in-game level oregon currency total.

Take-Two further argues that PlayerAuctions goes retired of its mode to "lull its users into buying illegitimate GTA V contented from its sellers" by offering refunds if the hacked accounts purchased are caught and banned post-purchase. According to the complaint, Take-Two has "repeatedly confronted PlayerAuctions with grounds of infringement" and has issued a cease and desist, but PlayerAuction has refused to unopen down these listings.

The GTA steadfast is claiming alleviation for aggregate antithetic types and levels of copyright infringement, arsenic good arsenic intentional interference with contract. Take-Two is seeking a imperishable enjoinment connected PlayerAuctions from continuing to straight oregon indirectly merchantability accounts, currency, oregon items successful immoderate Take-Two game, oregon participating successful oregon assisting hacking efforts, oregon infringing the GTA trademarks. It's besides seeing damages for trademark infringement, costs and lawyer fees, damages, and restitution.

Take-Two isn't the lone institution going aft PlayerAuctions. Early past month, Roblox filed a akin suit successful the Northern District of California Court covering astir the aforesaid accusations, attempts astatine a cease and desist, claims, and supplication for relief. Notably, PlayerAuctions offers akin income and services crossed galore different games, including World of Warcraft, Genshin Impact, Valorant, Path of Exile, Final Fantasy 14, Call of Duty, and Fortnite. In total, PlayerAuctions claims to merchantability assorted boosts, items, and benefits for implicit 200 games.

While the Take-Two suit is inactive aboriginal successful the process, the Roblox lawsuit has its archetypal proceeding acceptable for March 20 successful Oakland, California, wherever Roblox is seeking a preliminary injunction to halt PlayerAuctions from selling Roblox-related products and services portion the lawsuit proceeds.

The suit comes up of the autumn 2025 motorboat of GTA 6, which Take-Two precocious reaffirmed. The anticipation is of people that immoderate caller mentation of GTA Online that launches alongside GTA 6 volition beryllium arsenic escaped from cheaters arsenic is possible, and the suit whitethorn spell immoderate mode to helping.

We’ve got plentifulness much connected GTA 6, including Take-Two brag Strauss Zelnick’s effect to interest astir the destiny of GTA Online erstwhile GTA 6 comes out.

Rebekah Valentine is simply a elder newsman for IGN. You tin find her posting connected BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a communicative tip? Send it to [email protected].