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 from Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar Games' parent company. This ambitious project transplants the world, cutscenes, and missions of 2002's Grand Theft Auto: Vice City into the engine of 2008's Grand Theft Auto IV.

The modders explained in a video description that Take-Two deleted their YouTube channel without warning or prior contact. This resulted in the loss of hundreds of hours of streaming content dedicated to the mod's development and severed connection with their international audience. Despite the setback, which included the removal of a teaser trailer that garnered over 100,000 views and 1,500 comments in under a day, the team pressed forward with the release. They acknowledged the emotional toll of the unexpected channel removal, but prioritized delivering the mod on schedule. The team stated they are unsure how long the mod will remain publicly available and discouraged, but did not prohibit, re-uploads.

Initially, the mod was intended to require a legitimate copy of GTA IV as a sign of respect for the publisher. However, due to the channel takedown and subsequent uncertainty, Revolution Team released it as a standalone installer to ensure wider accessibility.

The mod is explicitly free and non-commercial, created by fans for fans. The team expressed gratitude to the original game's developers, while criticizing Take-Two's actions, suggesting their project might set a precedent for the modding community.

Take-Two's history of aggressively pursuing takedowns of Rockstar-related mods is well-documented, leading to a strained relationship with the modding community. This includes instances such as takedowns of an AI-powered GTA 5 story mode mod, a Red Dead Redemption 2 VR mod, and the Liberty City Preservation Project. Ironically, Take-Two has also been known to hire modders and sometimes even follows takedowns with the announcement of official remasters of the same games.

Former Rockstar Games technical director Obbe Vermeij offered a corporate perspective, stating that Take-Two and Rockstar are simply protecting their business interests. He cited the "GTA Vice City Nextgen Edition" mod as potentially competing with the GTA: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition and the Liberty City Preservation Project as possibly interfering with a potential GTA IV remaster. He argued that while frustrating, this is standard corporate practice and the best hope for the modding community is that mods which don't directly compete with existing or planned releases are allowed to exist.

The question remains whether Take-Two will pursue further action to remove the "GTA Vice City Nextgen Edition" mod itself.