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 Take-Two Interactive's efforts to remove related YouTube content. This ambitious project transplants Vice City's world, cutscenes, and missions into the GTA 4 engine.

The modders' YouTube channel was unexpectedly deleted by Take-Two, resulting in the loss of a substantial following and hundreds of hours of streamed development footage. Despite this setback, the team pressed forward with the release, initially intending to require a legitimate GTA 4 copy but ultimately releasing it as a standalone installation to ensure wider accessibility.

Revolution Team maintains the mod is entirely non-commercial, created by fans for fans, and expresses gratitude to the original game's developers (excluding the publisher). They suggest this project might set a precedent for the modding community's ongoing struggle with Take-Two's aggressive takedown policies.

Take-Two's history of removing mods, including an AI-powered GTA 5 story mode and a VR mod for Red Dead Redemption 2, is well-documented. The recent takedown of the Liberty City Preservation Project further exemplifies this trend. Interestingly, Take-Two has occasionally hired modders for Rockstar Games, and some removed mods have later been incorporated into official remasters.

Former Rockstar Games technical director Obbe Vermeij offered a corporate perspective, stating that Take-Two's actions are designed to protect its business interests. He cited the "GTA Vice City Nextgen Edition" as potentially competing with the "Definitive Edition," and the "Liberty City Preservation Project" as potentially interfering with a possible GTA 4 remaster. Vermeij suggests focusing on mods that don't directly compete with Take-Two's commercial releases.

The future of the "GTA Vice City Nextgen Edition" mod remains uncertain, with the question of whether Take-Two will pursue further takedown actions still unanswered.