The publisher of Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA VI) obtained court orders on Friday requiring Microsoft and Discord to turn over data in an effort to identify the source of recent leaks surrounding the eagerly anticipated video game.

Two federal judges in New York approved the subpoena requests, which had been filed a day earlier, according to court documents reviewed by AFP.

In order to obtain the injunctions, Take-Two Interactive, the American parent company of GTA VI developer Rockstar Games, had to assert that the videos posted online reproduce material for which it holds the copyright — a claim it has never publicly confirmed.

According to the court documents, “The copyrighted material includes but is not limited to audiovisual content, artwork, images, dialogue, or other creative elements.”

The leaks are attributed to an account with the pseudonym Cyberleek, whose author or authors claim to be acting to expose the industry’s business practices.

Take-Two subsidiary Rockstar Games has been criticised for pre-selling a GTA VI version with additional content at higher prices, and for offering the game in a digital-only format with no game discs.

Neither Rockstar nor Take-Two have commented on the leaks, which continued on Friday with a new clip showing a game character stealing a sports car.

The leaks are seen as undermining the group’s extensive marketing campaign, which began nearly three years ago with an initial trailer.

Following the global buzz generated by the start of pre-orders in late June, the promotion ramps up with an exclusive presentation on Netflix on August 27, more than two months ahead of the worldwide GTA release on November 19.

The sixth instalment of the flagship series, set in a region inspired by the US state of Florida, has had players around the globe waiting for more than 13 years since the release of GTA V, the second-best-selling game in history.

The subpoenas seek data held by Microsoft, owner of the GitHub developer platform where the leaks were allegedly posted, and by Discord, a communication platform widely used by gamers where the “infringing content” was shared in several chatrooms.

Take-Two is requesting data that would identify three accounts suspected of being the source of the leaks, as well as information on all members of the forums where the leaks circulated.

The two companies must respond by September 4.