Defiant Modders Release 'GTA Vice City Nextgen Edition' Despite Take-Two Takedown

A Russian modding group, 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 the world, cutscenes, and missions of 2002's Vice City into the GTA 4 engine (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 audience. The teaser trailer alone garnered over 100,000 views and 1,500 comments in under 24 hours 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 its long-term availability. While not explicitly encouraging reuploads, they haven't discouraged them either.

Initially intended to require a legitimate GTA 4 copy, the mod is now released as a standalone installer to ensure wider accessibility, a decision directly influenced by the YouTube takedown. The modders emphasize the project'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 set a precedent for future modding initiatives.

Take-Two's history of aggressive takedowns of Rockstar-related mods is well-documented, straining its relationship with the modding community. Previous examples include actions against an AI-powered GTA 5 story mode mod, a Red Dead Redemption 2 VR mod, and the Liberty City Preservation Project. This pattern is ironic, considering Take-Two's practice of hiring talented modders for Rockstar Games and the occasional coincidence of a takedown preceding Rockstar's own remaster announcements.

Obbe Vermeij, a former Rockstar Games technical director, offered a corporate perspective, defending Take-Two's actions as a means of protecting its business interests. He points out that the "Vice City Nextgen Edition" directly competes with the "Definitive Edition," and projects like the Liberty City Preservation Project could hinder potential GTA 4 remasters. He suggests that the best-case scenario is for Take-Two to tolerate mods that don't pose a direct commercial threat.

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