GTA Vice City 'NextGen Edition' Defies Takedown

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

The modders claim Take-Two deleted their YouTube channel without warning, resulting in the loss of hundreds of hours of streaming content and a significant portion of their community. Despite this setback, they released the mod as planned, acknowledging the emotional toll of the channel's removal.

Initially intended to require a legitimate copy of GTA 4, the mod is now available as a standalone installer to maximize accessibility given the uncertain future of its online presence. The team emphasizes the mod's non-commercial nature, created by fans for fans, expressing gratitude to the original game's developers (but not the publisher). They hope their project might influence Take-Two's approach to modding initiatives.

Take-Two's history of removing mods, including AI-powered GTA 5 mods, VR mods for Red Dead Redemption 2, and the Liberty City Preservation Project, is well-documented. This aggressive stance stems from a desire to protect its business interests, as evidenced by past instances where Take-Two removed mods only to later release remasters of the same games. It also sometimes employs talented modders.

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

The future of the "GTA Vice City Nextgen Edition" mod remains uncertain, with the question of whether Take-Two will attempt to remove it still unanswered.