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 YouTube takedowns by Take-Two, Rockstar's parent company. This impressive mod transplants the world, cutscenes, and missions of 2002's Vice City into the GTA 4 engine from 2008.

The modders explained in a video description that Take-Two deleted their YouTube channel without warning or prior contact. They highlight the significant time and effort invested, including hundreds of hours of streams dedicated to the mod's development and the loss of their international audience. The teaser trailer alone garnered over 100,000 views and 1,500 comments in under a day before the channel's removal. While acknowledging the emotional impact of this unexpected setback, they prioritized releasing the mod on schedule. They remain uncertain about its long-term availability. While not actively encouraging reuploads, they haven't explicitly prohibited them.

Initially, the mod required a legitimate copy of GTA 4 as a show of respect to the publisher. However, due to the channel takedown, it's now released as a standalone installer to ensure wider accessibility.

Revolution Team emphasizes the mod's non-commercial nature, created by fans for fans, expressing gratitude to the original game's developers, not the publisher. They lament Take-Two's blocking of modding initiatives that foster continued interest in their classic games, suggesting their project might set a precedent for the modding community.

Take-Two's history of aggressive takedowns of Rockstar-related mods is well-documented, straining their relationship with the modding community. Examples include takedowns of an AI-powered GTA 5 story mode mod, 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.

Former Rockstar Games technical director Obbe Vermeij defended Take-Two's actions, stating that they are protecting their business interests. He points out that the Vice City NextGen Edition directly competes with the Definitive Edition, and the Liberty City Preservation Project could interfere with a potential GTA 4 remaster. He suggests that the best outcome is for Take-Two to allow mods that don't directly impact their sales, citing GTA 3 for Dreamcast as a positive example.

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