Ever since Rockstar Games released the first trailer for GTA 6 on December 4, 2023, the studio has been at the center of the public’s attention. While some gamers have used the popularity of the first footage to create theories and speculate on the upcoming title, others like Lawrence Sullivan have had a very different reaction to the news.
Sullivan, who is most well-known by the name “Florida Joker,” has taken to social media to threaten Rockstar Games with legal action. If you are unfamiliar Sullivan, his popularity rose when he claimed that a character featured in the GTA 6 trailer shared his likeness. He has further expressed his belief that his image was stolen by the company and that he deserves to be compensated for the unjust act.
While some have suggested that Sullivan may only be trying to capitalize on the hype of GTA 6 to get extra followers, his latest stunt could be considered toneless in light of recent events.
“Florida Joker” Is Giving the GTA 6 Devs His Final Warning
In a recent video, the “Florida Joker” posted on social media a warning to Rockstar Games that the deadline to pay is almost up. The clip shows Sullivan emerging from behind a tree in a prison jumpsuit, with purple dyed hair, and a piece of fabric tied around his neck that says “GTA we gota talk.”
Sullivan starts by saying that he has been noticed in public more regularly, and that he essentially cannot get any peace. He explains:
GTA we gotta talk this is a reminder to the final warning, I keep getting harassed wherever I go. I can’t even eat a pizza while someone asking can I have a picture this is GTA Joker? No you can’t have a picture I’m eating.
Although Sullivan has already become incredibly popular just for his initial statements, it appears he is not done trying to convince Rockstar to give him a hefty payout.
As he continues in his demand video, the “Florida Joker” goes on to say just how much he wants out of the studio. While a previous request last month was for $5 million dollars, Sullivan has a new figure in mind. He states:
For a whole month I’ve been giving you a free publicity. I want my money. My birthday is January 11th. If you do not contact me three days after my birthday. I want $10 million dollars. $10 million dollars for my suffering and pain.
The entire video is only 51 seconds long, and continues a clear message the “Florida Joker” has been trying to send since the very beginning. He wants Rockstar Games to pay, but now with this latest clip, Sullivan may be crossing a line with more than just a legal threat.
Lawrence Sullivan Threatens to Break Out the GTA 6 Hacker
As the video draws to its quick conclusion, the “Florida Joker” has one more weapon he claims he will use against Rockstar.
In 2022, an 18-year-old hacker by the name of Arion Kurtaj was responsible for stealing 100 GB of highly confidential data from the GTA 6 studio. Kurtaj has since been captured and incarcerated for his cyber crimes, sentenced to life in a hospital prison.
Now, in Sullivan’s latest statement, he is using the GTA 6 hacker as ammunition against the company. He explains by saying:
You’re not going to lock me up GTA. You ain’t gonna put me in no psych ward. Keep playing with me, I’ll go break that kid out the psych ward right now.
It is clear that Sullivan is referring to Kurtaj, and while this may simply be a game to the “Florida Joker,” it might not be so funny at Rockstar Games. The hack that occurred two years ago was extremely detrimental, and was said to have caused the company to incur millions of dollars in damages.
This paired with the fact that Insomniac Games was recently hacked and suffered the loss of intellectual and personal information, could spell potential trouble for Sullivan in the future. The gaming community is certainly more sensitive to threats of hacking after past incidents have devastated gaming studios.
While the “Florida Joker” act may be as much of a joke as his self-proclaimed title suggests, it’s hard to imagine the devs at Rockstar finding such behavior comical. This is especially true given the fact that they suffered the consequences of a very real hack only two years ago.
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