A Russian modding team, Revolution Team, has released its "GTA Vice City Nextgen Edition" mod despite Take-Two Interactive's efforts to remove related content from YouTube. The mod transplants Vice City's world, cutscenes, and missions into GTA 4's engine.

Revolution Team's YouTube channel was deleted without warning, resulting in the loss of significant community engagement and hundreds of hours of streamed development footage. The team stated that while this was a setback, they prioritized releasing the mod as promised. Initially intended to require a legitimate GTA 4 copy, the mod is now released as a standalone installer to ensure wider accessibility given the circumstances.

The modders emphasize the project's non-commercial nature, created by fans for fans, and express gratitude to the original game's developers, not the publisher. They suggest their actions might set a precedent for the modding community.

Take-Two's history of removing mods that potentially impact its business interests is well-documented. Previous examples include takedowns of AI-powered GTA 5 mods, a VR mod for Red Dead Redemption 2, and the Liberty City Preservation Project. Interestingly, Take-Two has sometimes hired modders, and some removed mods have later been incorporated into official remasters.

Obbe Vermeij, a former Rockstar Games technical director, defended Take-Two's actions, stating that the company is protecting its business interests. He cited the "GTA Vice City Nextgen Edition" mod as directly competing with the "Definitive Edition" and the Liberty City Preservation Project as potentially interfering with a possible GTA 4 remaster. He suggested the best hope for the modding community is for Take-Two to tolerate mods that don't directly compete with its products.

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.