In a surprising turn of events, the Sheriff of Miami-Dade County is raising serious concerns about Miami’s ambitious plan to celebrate the launch of Grand Theft Auto 6 by transforming the city into a real-life Vice City. The sheriff argues that such a campaign risks glorifying criminal activity and undermining the efforts of law enforcement.
Vice City Comes to Life (Almost)
Grand Theft Auto 6 is set in Vice City, Rockstar Games’ fictionalized version of Miami, Florida. The developers have meticulously recreated iconic Miami locales and architecture within the game, with fans already spotting real-life locations in the latest trailers.
Just last month, local news outlets reported that Miami-Dade County officials had spoken with Rockstar Games about a potential Grand Theft Auto 6-themed takeover of Miami. The proposed plans included wrapping the Metro line with Vice City branding, creating custom manhole covers, and adorning Miami International Airport with “Welcome to Vice City” signage.
Even More GTA 6 Screenshots from Rockstar Games
While the city seemed enthusiastic about partnering with Rockstar for what could be a massive promotional event, Miami-Dade County Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz is now hitting the brakes on the idea.
Sheriff Cordero-Stutz and Commissioner Juan Carlos Bermudez believe that celebrating Grand Theft Auto – a game series renowned for allowing players to engage in criminal activities – would essentially promote a fictionalized, crime-ridden version of their city.
“Grand Theft Auto is a video game franchise built around criminal activity. Its fictional world includes murder, robbery, drug trafficking, carjacking, violence against law enforcement, and other conduct that the men and women of the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office work every single day to prevent,” Cordero-Stutz stated, according to NBC Miami 6.
“At a time when law enforcement is working tirelessly to reduce violent crime, prevent robberies and car thefts, combat drug trafficking, and build stronger relationships between our deputies and the communities we serve, I believe we need to seriously consider the message we send when our own government promotes a fictional identity centered around many of those same crimes.”
“I still cannot believe that we are even considering temporarily rebranding important County assets, including Miami International Airport, as ‘Vice City Airport,'” Bermudez added. “Miami-Dade County has spent decades building a reputation as a world-class destination for tourism, business, investment, and opportunity. We should be promoting the Miami-Dade we have worked so hard to build, not a fictional version of our community defined by crime and violence.”
The future of Miami’s GTA 6 takeover remains uncertain following the sheriff’s strong opposition. However, with the game poised to be one of the biggest releases in video game history, it undoubtedly represents a potentially lucrative venture if it can proceed.
Beyond the controversy surrounding the city-wide promotion, Sheriff Cordero-Stutz isn’t alone in raising eyebrows about GTA 6’s November 19 launch. Spouses across social media have also ignited a heated debate, claiming that playing the game, which features a relationship mechanic between dual protagonists Jason and Lucia, is tantamount to cheating.
Virginia (she/her) is IGN’s News Editor. With ten years of experience reporting on games and entertainment, she’s got a storied background in the fighting game community, influencer news, and viral online trends. Find her on Twitter at @TheeMissGlaze.
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