GTA 6 Hacker Arion Kurtaj Moved From Secure Hospital to Prison Ahead of November 2026 Retrial

Arion Kurtaj, the hacker linked to the Lapsus$ group and responsible for the September 2022 GTA 6 leak, has been moved from indefinite hospitalization at a secure clinic to a regular prison.

This change comes ahead of a retrial scheduled for November 2026, according to BBC journalist Joe Tidy. Kurtaj was initially sentenced in December 2023 to indefinite detention in a medical facility after being deemed unfit for trial due to a diagnosis of acute autism. The upcoming retrial will occur in the same month that GTA 6 is expected to be released, on November 19, 2026.

Details about the case remain largely undisclosed, with authorities remaining tight-lipped about the preparations for the retrial.

What Happened in the 2022 GTA 6 Leak and Kurtaj’s Sentencing

Kurtaj's 2022 hacking incident was unprecedented in scale. He released 90 clips from GTA 6 along with the game's source code on a fan forum. The circumstances surrounding the hack made it particularly notable:

Kurtaj was out on bail after hacking Nvidia at the time and was under police protection at a Travelodge hotel.

He used only an Amazon Firestick, the hotel's TV, and a cell phone to infiltrate Rockstar's systems.

The attack succeeded despite his surveillance and monitoring status.

The leak attracted widespread attention and led Rockstar Games to confirm that GTA 6 was in development, ahead of its planned official reveal.

In December 2023, a jury found Kurtaj guilty of the hacks. He was sentenced to imprisonment in a secure hospital under conditions that could keep him there for life or until he was deemed fit to stand trial again.

The unusual sentence reflected concerns about Kurtaj's mental health and behavior in custody. A mental health assessment cited by the BBC noted that Kurtaj continued to express the intention to return to cybercrime as soon as possible and was highly motivated. Authorities also reported dozens of incidents involving injury or property damage during his time in police custody.…