GTA Vice City Nextgen Edition released by defiant modders, Take-Two take unsuccessful

A Russian modding team, Revolution Team, has released their "GTA Vice City Nextgen Edition" mod despite Take-Two Interactive's efforts to remove related content from YouTube. This ambitious project transplants the world, cutscenes, and missions of 2002's Vice City into the GTA 4 engine (2008).

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 uncertainty of its long-term availability. Initially intended to require a legitimate copy of GTA 4, the mod is now available as a standalone installer to ensure broader accessibility.

Revolution Team emphasizes the mod's non-commercial nature, stating it was created by fans for fans and expressing gratitude to the original game's developers (not the publisher). They hope their project will influence Take-Two's approach to modding initiatives.

Take-Two's aggressive takedown policy regarding Rockstar game mods is well-documented. Previous instances include actions against an AI-powered GTA 5 story mode, a Red Dead Redemption 2 VR mod, and the Liberty City Preservation Project. Ironically, Take-Two has sometimes hired modders for Rockstar Games, and some removed mods have later been incorporated into official remasters.

Former Rockstar technical director Obbe Vermeij defended Take-Two's actions, arguing they are protecting their business interests. He cited the "GTA Vice City Nextgen Edition" as potentially competing with the "Definitive Edition," and the "Liberty City Preservation Project" as possibly interfering with a potential GTA 4 remaster. He suggests that the best hope for the modding community is for Take-Two to tolerate mods that don't directly impact their commercial ventures.

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.