Rockstar Games' plan to turn Miami into Vice City is hitting resistance less than five weeks before GTA 6 launches on November 19. The campaign's October 15 start date is now unlikely to hold, and a separate county-level proposal could be killed outright next week.
October 15 start date likely to slip
The Miami Beach portion was supposed to begin on October 15. Reporter Joel Franco says the agreement still hasn't been signed. According to Franco, an official told him that date will "most likely not" be the real start, because the parties are still working out details.
The campaign was approved on September 10 by a narrow 4-3 vote of the Miami Beach City Commission. The plan covers discreet "Vice City" and "VI" branding on beach chairs and umbrellas through December 31. Rockstar is expected to pay the city roughly $3 million, and officials have pushed for closer to $4 million. The resolution lets the city manager finalize the deal without returning to the full commission, so the contract can still be completed administratively. But the clock is now tight.
The county plan is in real trouble
The larger and more ambitious Miami-Dade proposal is in worse shape. It would have turned parts of Miami International Airport, PortMiami and Metromover stations into Vice City installations. Several county commissioners have moved to stop it, and a vote is set for October 20 on whether negotiations continue or the county walks away.
Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz has been a vocal opponent, arguing that "Miami-Dade County is not Vice City." Critics fear the campaign revives the city's 1980s reputation for crime.
"$150 million" versus a $957,000 contract
Commissioner Rene Garcia has attacked the economics. He says his research shows Rockstar is spending "at least a minimum of $150 million" on marketing overall. He asks why Miami-Dade negotiated a contract worth only $957,000, and says it "does not make sense."
Journalist Francisco Alvarado, who first reported on the dealings, takes a different view. He calls the backlash "manufactured outrage." In his telling, some officials are less upset about the game's image than about being shut out of negotiations with Rockstar. He suggests they also lost the chance to extract more money for their political committees.
What isn't affected
Not everything is in doubt. The Miami Heat's "A Night in Vice City" event is a private tie-in, so it doesn't depend on any government vote. It is still set for November 18 against the Milwaukee Bucks, with a custom court, redesigned uniforms and a Vice City merchandise line. The Welcome to Vice City sign is already lit on the Kaseya Center. Downtown Miami banners have also been approved, though Miami Beach's own approval is the piece now facing delay.
What it means for launch
None of this touches the November 19 release date. This is a fight over how loudly Rockstar can advertise in the real Miami, not over the game itself. A late start or a scaled-back footprint would still compress what was meant to be the final promotional push. October 20 should show how much of the original Vice City vision survives.
Recommended Comments