Epstein document dump puts former GTA producer under scrutiny as GTA VI hype reaches fever pitch

The ex-veteran producer of Grand Theft Auto and former President of Rockstar North, Leslie Benzies’ name was recently found in the publicly available Epstein files, courtesy of the United States Department of Justice. In the files, Sarah Ransome, one of the alleged victims of Epstein, accused the former GTA producer of sexual assault. She had previously also sued Epstein and cohort Ghislane Maxwell for sex trafficking, also releasing a book detailing her alleged horrific experience, called Silenced No More: Surviving My Journey to Hell and Back.

The released file that led to this discovery was a witness list being compiled by Ransome, in which her accusation against Benzies was stated. She also mentioned Rockstar Boss, Sam Houser. It is pertinent to note that no allegation was made against Houser himself; rather, it was stated that he was aware of the alleged mistreatment of Ransome by Benzies. As an example, Ransome said that Benzies had thrown money at her like she was a “prostitute” in order to publicly humiliate her, saying Houser was aware that this had happened. 

It is important to note that Benzies has denied all allegations, in a statement shared with Kotaku, saying:

These allegations are false, I had a 3 months consensual relationship with this person, and I have never met Jeffrey Epstein, nor have I ever visited his island, his properties, or travelled on his plane. Any suggestion otherwise is misleading.

Currently, Benzies is the co-founder of Build a Rocket Boy studio, which recently released its first game, MindsEye, a futuristic third-person shooter that has itself been the subject of speculation due to rumoured troubled development and a shaky launch. A YouTuber by the name of Cyber Boi had gone and posted one of his latest videos on MindsEye’s Discord channel, titled “Leslie Benzies is in the Epstein Files.”

Very soon after, Mark Gerhard, co-CEO of Build a Rocket Boy, issued a “formal cease and desist demand” against the YouTuber, via the same server, and accused him of “media manipulation, espionage,” “sabotage, and “interference targeting” against BaRB. Cyber Boi then removed the video because he feared any “escalated legal action.”

It is important to note that, although revealed in the files, these allegations are not supported by any judicial ruling or law enforcement action; they remain allegations until proven otherwise. With GTA VI shaping up to be the biggest video game release of 2026 and aiming to expand on the scale of its yet-popular predecessor, most of the developers and producers at Rockstar are under a microscope.

This is particularly true after accusations of leaked work product and allegedly unfair firings in the UK, stemming from a spat between laid-off developers and the studio, even as fans scour the internet for any and all news about GTA VI and Rockstar until its release, slated for November 2026.