A Russian modding team, Revolution Team, has released its "GTA Vice City Nextgen Edition" mod despite Take-Two Interactive's efforts to remove related YouTube content. The mod reimagines 2002's Vice City within the 2008 GTA 4 engine, incorporating its world, cutscenes, and missions.
The team's YouTube channel was deleted without warning, resulting in the loss of a significant community and over 100,000 views on the mod's teaser trailer. While initially intending to require a legitimate GTA 4 copy, the mod is now released as a standalone package to ensure wider accessibility following the channel takedown.
Revolution Team maintains the mod is non-commercial, created by fans for fans, and expresses gratitude to the original game's developers. They suggest their 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 an AI-powered GTA 5 story mode and a Red Dead Redemption 2 VR mod, is well-documented. This action, along with the recent Liberty City Preservation Project takedown, reflects a strained relationship with the modding community. Interestingly, Take-Two has occasionally hired modders for Rockstar Games, and some removed mods have preceded official remasters.
A former Rockstar technical director, Obbe Vermeij, defended Take-Two's actions, stating they are protecting their business interests. He cited the "GTA Vice City Nextgen Edition" as potentially competing with the "Definitive Edition" and the Liberty City Preservation Project as possibly interfering with a potential GTA 4 remaster. Vermeij suggests the best hope is for Take-Two to tolerate mods that don't directly impact their commercial ventures.
The future of the "GTA Vice City Nextgen Edition" mod remains uncertain, with the question of whether Take-Two will pursue its removal still unanswered.
