Defiant Modders Release 'GTA Vice City Nextgen Edition' Despite Take-Two 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 content from YouTube. This ambitious project transplants the world, cutscenes, and missions of the 2002 classic GTA 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 streamed development footage and a significant portion of their community. The teaser trailer alone garnered over 100,000 views and 1,500 comments in under 24 hours before the channel's removal. While acknowledging the emotional toll of this unexpected setback, the team prioritized releasing the mod as planned. They initially intended to require a legitimate copy of GTA 4 to play the mod, but to ensure wider accessibility, it's now available as a standalone installer.

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 see their project as a potential precedent for the modding community, challenging Take-Two's approach to modding initiatives.

Take-Two's history of removing mods related to Rockstar games is well-documented, creating a strained relationship with the modding community. Previous examples include takedowns of AI-powered GTA 5 story mode mods, a Red Dead Redemption 2 VR mod, 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.

Obbe Vermeij, a former Rockstar Games technical director, defends Take-Two's actions as protecting their business interests. He suggests the "GTA Vice City Nextgen Edition" directly competes with the GTA: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition, and the Liberty City Preservation Project could interfere with a potential GTA 4 remaster. He argues that while frustrating, this is standard corporate practice, and the best hope is for tolerance of mods that don't pose a direct commercial threat.

The future of the "GTA Vice City Nextgen Edition" remains uncertain. Whether Take-Two will pursue further action to remove the mod itself remains to be seen.