"GTA Vice City Nextgen Edition Released by Defiant Modders Amid Take-Two Takedown"

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

In their video description, the modders expressed frustration over Take-Two's actions, stating that their YouTube channel was "deleted" without any prior warning or attempt at communication. They highlighted the significant effort and time invested in their channel, including hundreds of hours of streams dedicated to the mod's development. The removal of their channel led to a loss of connection with their international audience, particularly after their teaser trailer garnered over 100,000 views and 1,500 comments in less than a day. They described the channel's removal as a "cruel move" but acknowledged their inability to influence the situation, choosing not to comment further to avoid any risks that could disrupt the mod's release.

The past few days have been emotionally challenging for the team, as they had envisioned a different release scenario with a cozy stream celebrating the long-awaited launch. Despite these setbacks, the most critical aspect for them was meeting the promised release date. They remain uncertain about how long the mod will stay publicly available and whether there will be further demands for its removal. While they are not opposed to reuploads, they cannot openly encourage them, leaving it to the discretion of the community.

Originally, the mod was intended to require a legitimate copy of GTA 4 to play, as a sign of respect to the publisher. However, due to current uncertainties, they released it as a standalone, installation-ready package to ensure stable performance for a broader audience.

Take-Two's reaction to the modders' actions is anticipated to be negative, given their history of removing related content. Despite this, the Revolution Team remains defiant, emphasizing that their mod is a free, non-commercial project created by fans for fans. They expressed gratitude to the original game's developers and lamented Take-Two's tendency to block modding initiatives that could maintain interest in their iconic titles, hoping their project might set a precedent for the modding community.

Take-Two has a history of strained relations with the modding community, often issuing takedowns for mods like the AI-powered GTA 5 story mode mod, a VR mod for Red Dead Redemption 2, and the Liberty City Preservation Project. Interestingly, Take-Two sometimes hires these modders to work at Rockstar Games, and in some cases, mods taken down have led to official remasters by Rockstar itself.

Former Rockstar Games technical director Obbe Vermeij defended Take-Two's actions, noting that they are a commercial company protecting their business interests. He pointed out that the 'VC NextGen Edition' mod competes directly with the Definitive Edition, and the Liberty City Preservation Project could interfere with a potential GTA 4 remaster.

The question now is whether Take-Two will attempt to take down the mod itself.