The recent leak of an early Grand Theft Auto IV development build has provided fans with a treasure trove of previously unseen content to explore.
The discovery came to light when a user from Edinburgh, the city where Rockstar North’s headquarters is located, managed to acquire an Xbox 360 development kit that contained a pristine early version of Grand Theft Auto IV.
This unexpected find allowed players to delve into cut features and elements from the game’s development, such as an early iteration of a ferry system.
However, it appears that the legal teams representing Rockstar Games and its parent company, Take-Two Interactive, have sprung into action. Files associated with this leaked early build of GTA IV have reportedly been removed from the Internet Archive.
The individual who initially uploaded these files stated that they received no specific notifications regarding their removal. This has led many players to widely speculate that a DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) complaint, citing copyright infringement, was filed with the Internet Archive.
Despite the swift removal, the modding community had already managed to download copies of the files. Many modders have since successfully launched the early GTA IV build and continue to meticulously study its hidden content and features.