GTA Vice City Next-Gen: Rise and fall of fan remaster

Vice City rebuilt in GTA IV’s RAGE engine with modern graphics and physics

On January 25, 2025, a Russian modding collective known as Revolution Team released GTA Vice City Next-Gen Edition, a project that had haunted mod forums and Reddit leaks for years. Built inside GTA IV’s RAGE engine, it didn’t just make Vice City look better, it played like a modern Rockstar title. We’re talking ragdoll physics, standalone installation, rebuilt environments, and fully working missions , cutscenes, and radio stations.

This wasn’t just a facelift. It was a resurrection. And it came to life without needing GTA IV installed.

Why it could have been a big success

The mod showcased a visually enhanced Vice City, with upgraded textures, improved lighting effects, and weather enhancements that gave areas like Ocean Beach a realistic feel. Reflections and rain effects were handled through reshade presets. Vehicles like the Sabre and Comet featured more detailed models.

Character animations were noticeably smoother especially the ragdoll physics. NPCs had improved pathing and basic behavior tweaks, while vehicles handled with a bit more realism. Explosions and sound effects were remastered, giving them a heavier punch compared to the original game.

Every core detail from the 2002 classic was there: the original map layout, the familiar soundtrack, the missions, just cleaner, sharper, snappier. For many, it felt like the remaster Rockstar should have made.

Sure, there were some bugs, mission triggers sometimes failed and weather effects glitched occasionally, but no one cared. The vibe was too good.

Then it vanished: DMCA takedown

On January 23, just before the official mod drop, the project’s YouTube channel and teaser trailer were nuked by DMCA notices. Next came their Telegram chat, followed by the VK community page. The complaints came via the ESA (Entertainment Software Association) on behalf of Take-Two Interactive.

The modders still pushed the mod out on January 25, boldly launching a standalone version. But by February 1, they’d posted a final goodbye:

We will no longer support or distribute the mod due to legal pressure. Sorry it had to end this way.

— Revolution Team

Why did Take-Two go after Vice City Next-Gen?

This isn’t Take-Two’s first DMCA rodeo. In the past, they’ve gone after reverse-engineering projects and unofficial ports of Liberty City. But what made Vice City Next-Gen different was its polish.

It felt dangerously close to being better than the real thing. That’s part of why it likely crossed a red line.

• Standalone distribution? Check.
• Reused audio and mission files? Check.
• A level of quality that could confuse less-savvy players into thinking it was official? Definitely.

And with GTA VI on the horizon, rumored to be set in a reimagined Vice City, Take-Two probably wasn’t taking any chances.

A big hit for the modding community

Reactions were split. Longtime modders saw the shutdown as expected, Take-Two has a history of cracking down on anything that looks like an unofficial remaster, especially if it doesn’t require an existing game to run. But to fans, this hit different.

Vice City Next-Gen wasn’t a commercial product. It was a high-effort fan tribute. And its success, over 100K trailer views, active Telegram communities, and hundreds of Reddit threads, showed how badly people wanted to revisit this world.

What it means for future fan remakes

Modding has always lived in a legal gray zone. You can tweak textures and add chaos spawns, sure. But build something standalone, that would drive players to play it instead of the original, this is the risk.

Still, Vice City Next-Gen Edition wasn’t a failure. It proved what small teams can accomplish with pure passion. And its sudden disappearance just made it more legendary.