A Russian modding team, Revolution Team, has released its "GTA Vice City Nextgen Edition" mod despite Take-Two Interactive's efforts to remove its promotional videos from YouTube. This ambitious project transplants the world, cutscenes, and missions of 2002's Grand Theft Auto: Vice City into the Grand Theft Auto IV (2008) engine.
The modders reported that Take-Two deleted their YouTube channel without prior notice or communication, resulting in the loss of significant content, including hundreds of hours of livestreams documenting the mod's development and a teaser trailer that garnered over 100,000 views in under 24 hours. While acknowledging the emotional impact of this action, the team prioritized releasing the mod as promised. They initially intended to require a legitimate copy of GTA IV to play, but released it as a standalone installer to ensure wider accessibility given the circumstances. The mod is free and non-commercial, created by fans for fans, with the team expressing gratitude to the original game's developers.
Take-Two's aggressive takedown policy regarding Rockstar-related mods is well-documented, with past incidents involving AI-powered GTA V story mode mods, a Red Dead Redemption 2 VR mod, and the Liberty City Preservation Project. This history of conflict with the modding community is notable, particularly given Take-Two's occasional practice of hiring modders for Rockstar Games and the coincidental release of remasters following the takedown of related mods.
Former Rockstar Games technical director Obbe Vermeij offered a corporate perspective, stating that Take-Two's actions are driven by protecting its business interests. He suggested that the "GTA Vice City Nextgen Edition" mod directly competes with the GTA: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition, and the Liberty City Preservation Project could interfere with a potential GTA IV remaster. He argued that while frustrating, this is standard corporate practice, and the modding community should focus on projects that don't directly impact Take-Two's revenue streams.
The future of the "GTA Vice City Nextgen Edition" mod remains uncertain, with the question of whether Take-Two will pursue further action, including legal action to remove the mod itself, hanging in the balance.
