Suspect linked to the group that hacked Rockstar arrested in Amsterdam
Dutch police arrest a 24-year-old over alleged ties to ShinyHunters, the group behind April’s Rockstar data theft, and investigate him for ordering two murders.
Police in the Netherlands have arrested a 24-year-old man in Amsterdam over his alleged involvement in ShinyHunters, the cybercrime group that claimed responsibility for stealing data from Rockstar Games in April 2026. He was detained on September 15, and police announced the arrest on September 29, the day he appeared in court. The case comes with an unexpected twist: he's also under investigation for attempting to order two murders abroad.
What we know about the arrest
Detail | Info |
|---|---|
Suspect | 24-year-old man from Amsterdam |
Date | September 15, 2026 (announced on the 29th) |
Main suspicion | Membership of a criminal organization, as part of the ShinyHunters investigation |
Separate investigation | Attempted incitement to two murders meant to take place outside the country |
Status | Held in pretrial detention and isolation; a Rotterdam court has extended it by 90 days |
Police say information about two murders planned abroad was found on his laptop, with indications that he gave the order; that investigation is separate from the ShinyHunters case. According to Reuters, the Amsterdam cybersecurity firm he worked for identified him as its offensive security lead, and the FBI describes him as one of the group's alleged leaders. He was previously convicted of data theft and extortion in 2023 and later publicly renounced cybercrime. ShinyHunters denies any link to him. Like anyone arrested, he's presumed innocent unless convicted.
Rockstar's April breach
ShinyHunters got into Rockstar's systems through a third-party supplier and claimed to have taken a vast number of internal files, which it used to try to extort the company. Rockstar didn't pay, and some of the data was published, including figures on how much money GTA Online makes and how many people play it. At the time, Rockstar played it down, saying a limited amount of non-material information had been accessed through a third party's breach, with no impact on the company or its players.
The group has also claimed attacks on Ticketmaster, SoundCloud, Google and even the FBI.
Why it matters to players
Rockstar has been a target for years: the 2022 hack that leaked dozens of in-development GTA VI videos was one of the biggest leaks the industry has seen, and leaks of in-development material remain a constant. This case is different, since Rockstar says the game wasn't affected, but it's a reminder of how valuable any Rockstar data is just seven weeks before GTA VI launches on November 19.
