Modders defy Take-Two, unleash 'GTA Vice City Nextgen Edition'

A Russian modding group, 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 2002's 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 streaming content 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. Despite the setback, the mod was released as planned. Initially intended to require a legitimate copy of GTA 4, it's now available as a standalone installer to maximize 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 suggest this project might set a precedent for the modding community, challenging Take-Two's approach to modding initiatives.

Take-Two's history of removing mods, including AI-powered GTA 5 story mode and VR mods for Red Dead Redemption 2, is well-documented. This aggressive stance stems from a perceived threat to their business interests, as evidenced by the recent takedown of the Liberty City Preservation Project. Interestingly, Take-Two has occasionally hired modders, and some removed mods have later inspired official remasters.

Former Rockstar Games technical director Obbe Vermeij defends Take-Two's actions, highlighting their responsibility to protect their commercial interests. He argues the "Vice City Nextgen Edition" directly competes with the "Definitive Edition," and projects like the Liberty City Preservation Project could hinder potential GTA 4 remasters. He suggests the best hope for the modding community is the allowance of mods that don't impact Take-Two's business, citing the relatively unhindered progress of projects like DCA3 (GTA3 for Dreamcast) as an example.

The future of the "GTA Vice City Nextgen Edition" mod remains uncertain, with the question of whether Take-Two will pursue its removal still hanging in the air.