GTA Vice City Nextgen Defies Take-Two Takedown

A Russian modding group, Revolution Team, has released its "GTA Vice City Nextgen Edition" mod despite Take-Two Interactive's efforts to remove related content from YouTube. The mod transplants Vice City's world, cutscenes, and missions into GTA 4's engine.

Revolution Team's YouTube channel was deleted without warning, resulting in the loss of a substantial audience and hundreds of hours of streamed development footage. Despite this setback, the mod was released as planned, initially intended to require a legitimate GTA 4 copy but ultimately released as a standalone installer to ensure broader accessibility given the circumstances.

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 express regret that Take-Two actively suppresses modding initiatives that could sustain interest in their classic titles, suggesting their project might set a precedent for the modding community.

Take-Two's history of aggressive takedowns of Rockstar-related mods is well-documented, including instances involving AI-powered GTA 5 mods, 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.

A former Rockstar Games technical director, Obbe Vermeij, defended Take-Two's actions, stating that the company is simply protecting its business interests. He cited the "GTA Vice City Nextgen Edition" as potentially competing with the "Definitive Edition" and the Liberty City Preservation Project as potentially interfering with a possible GTA 4 remaster. Vermeij suggests focusing on mods that don't directly compete with Take-Two's commercial interests.

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.