Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Nextgen Edition Re-released by Modders

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 the world, cutscenes, and missions of 2002's Vice City into the GTA 4 engine (2008).

The modders' YouTube channel was unexpectedly deleted by Take-Two, resulting in the loss of a substantial audience and hundreds of hours of streamed development footage. Despite this setback, they proceeded with the release, offering the mod as a standalone installer instead of requiring a legitimate GTA 4 copy, a decision made to ensure broader accessibility.

Revolution Team emphasizes the mod's non-commercial nature, created by fans for fans, and expresses 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 history of removing mods is well-documented, impacting projects ranging from AI-powered GTA 5 story modes to VR mods for Red Dead Redemption 2. This aggressive stance stems from the company's protection of its business interests, as acknowledged by former Rockstar Games technical director Obbe Vermeij. Vermeij argues that mods directly competing with existing products, like the "Definitive Edition" or potentially interfering with future remasters (such as a hypothetical GTA 4 remaster), are legitimate targets for takedown notices. He suggests that Take-Two is more likely 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 possibility of further takedown attempts by Take-Two. The situation highlights the ongoing tension between modding communities and publishers striving to protect their intellectual property and commercial interests. The irony isn't lost that Take-Two sometimes hires modders, and some removed mods have later been incorporated into official remasters.