"GTA Vice City Nextgen Edition Launched by Modders, Ignoring Take-Two's Takedown"

A Russian modding group, known as Revolution Team, has released its ambitious 'GTA Vice City Nextgen Edition' despite facing YouTube takedowns from Rockstar's parent company, Take-Two. This mod brings the iconic world, cutscenes, and missions of the 2002 game, Vice City, into the engine of 2008's GTA 4.

In a statement, the modders expressed their frustration over Take-Two's actions, which led to the deletion of their YouTube channel without any prior warning or attempt to communicate. The channel was a vital hub for the community, having accumulated significant engagement, including a teaser trailer that garnered over 100,000 views and 1,500 comments within a day. The sudden removal left the team emotionally drained, as they had planned a celebratory stream for the mod's launch.

Despite these setbacks, Revolution Team successfully released the mod on the promised date. Initially, the mod was intended to require a legitimate copy of GTA 4 as a gesture of respect to the publisher. However, due to the uncertainties, they opted for a standalone, installation-ready package to ensure wider accessibility.

The modders acknowledged Take-Two's likely disapproval, given its history of targeting mods. Nevertheless, they emphasized that their project is non-commercial, created by fans for fans, and expressed gratitude towards the original game's developers, not the publisher. They lamented Take-Two's stance against modding, hoping their project might set a positive precedent for the modding community.

Take-Two's relationship with modders has been contentious, with the company known for issuing takedowns on various mods, including an AI-powered GTA 5 story mode mod and a VR mod for Red Dead Redemption 2. Interestingly, while Take-Two aggressively pursues takedowns, it has also been known to hire talented modders to work at Rockstar Games. Moreover, some mods, like the Vice City mod, have been taken down only for Rockstar to later announce official remasters of the same games.

A former Rockstar technical director, Obbe Vermeij, defended Take-Two's actions, stating that the company is simply protecting its business interests. He pointed out that the VC NextGen Edition mod directly competes with the Definitive Edition, and the Liberty City preservation project could interfere with a potential GTA 4 remaster.

The situation now hinges on whether Take-Two will attempt to take down the 'GTA Vice City Nextgen Edition' mod itself.