GTA Vice City Gets Unofficial Next-Gen Revival

A Russian modding team, Revolution Team, has released its "GTA Vice City Nextgen Edition" mod despite facing YouTube takedowns by Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar Games' parent company. This ambitious project transplants Vice City's world, cutscenes, and missions from 2002 into the GTA 4 engine of 2008.

The modders publicly stated that Take-Two deleted their YouTube channel without prior warning or contact, resulting in the loss of hundreds of hours of streamed development footage and a significant portion of their international community. The teaser trailer alone garnered over 100,000 views and 1,500 comments in under a day before the channel's removal. While acknowledging the emotional impact of this action, the team prioritized releasing the mod as promised. They remain uncertain about the mod's long-term availability. While not explicitly encouraging re-uploads, they haven't actively discouraged them either.

Initially intended to require a legitimate GTA 4 copy, the mod is now released as a standalone installer to ensure broader accessibility given the circumstances. The team emphasizes the mod's non-commercial nature, created by fans for fans, expressing gratitude to the original game's developers, not the publisher. They hope their project might influence Take-Two's approach to modding initiatives.

Take-Two's history of aggressive takedowns of Rockstar-related mods is well-documented, creating tension with the modding community. Previous examples include takedowns of an AI-powered GTA 5 story mode mod, a VR mod for Red Dead Redemption 2, and the Liberty City Preservation Project. Interestingly, Take-Two has sometimes hired modders for Rockstar Games, and some removed mods have later been incorporated into official remasters.

Obbe Vermeij, a former Rockstar Games technical director, offered a corporate perspective, stating that Take-Two and Rockstar are simply protecting their business interests. He suggested that the "Vice City Nextgen Edition" directly competes with the "Definitive Edition," and projects like the Liberty City Preservation Project could interfere with potential GTA 4 remasters. He pointed out that while some modding projects are tolerated (like DCA3, a GTA 3 port for Dreamcast), those that pose a direct commercial threat are likely to be targeted.

The future of the "GTA Vice City Nextgen Edition" mod remains uncertain, with the question of whether Take-Two will pursue its removal still unanswered.