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 Vice City's world, cutscenes, and missions into the GTA 4 engine (2008) from its original 2002 release.

The modders' YouTube channel was deleted without warning, resulting in the loss of hundreds of hours of streamed development footage and a significant portion of their community. Their teaser trailer alone garnered over 100,000 views and 1,500 comments in under 24 hours before removal. Despite this setback, they proceeded with the release, citing the emotional toll of the takedown and prioritizing fulfilling their promise to the community.

Initially, the mod required a legitimate copy of GTA 4, a gesture of respect to the publisher. However, due to the channel takedown and uncertainty surrounding the mod's future availability, it was released as a standalone installer for broader accessibility.

Revolution Team emphasizes the mod's non-commercial nature, created purely by fans for fans. They expressed gratitude to the original game's developers, but criticized Take-Two's actions, suggesting it stifles community engagement with classic titles. 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. This includes actions against an AI-powered GTA 5 story mode mod, a VR mod for Red Dead Redemption 2, and the Liberty City Preservation Project. Ironically, Take-Two sometimes hires modders for Rockstar, and some takedowns have preceded official remasters.

Obbe Vermeij, a former Rockstar Games technical director, offered a corporate perspective, stating that Take-Two's actions are about protecting 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. He suggests that the best hope for the modding community is that Take-Two allows mods that don't directly compete with their commercial releases.

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.