Miami-Dade’s top cop and a commissioner want to put the brakes on any potential promotion deal involving the county and the upcoming release of Grand Theft Auto 6.
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The high-anticipated video game is set to be released in November and though it’s set in the fictional Vice City, Miami and South Florida serve as the game’s inspiration, with locations similar to Miami Beach’s Ocean Drive, Miami International Airport, the Florida Everglades and more.
Developer Rockstar Games reached out to the county looking to collaborate on the release, and the county responded with ideas, including wrapping the Metromover with the Vice City logo, splashing Vice City murals on high-profile public buildings, and even branding manhole covers with the Vice City logo.
County officials see it as a gaming tourism opportunity, with GTA fans visiting Miami to see the sites in real life, as well as an opportunity to generate revenues.
But not everyone is on board with the potential plan to brand the county, including Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz and Commissioner Juan Carlos Bermudez.
In a joint statement Thursday, Cordero-Stutz and Bermudez questioned whether the county should “promote a fictional depiction of Miami centered on crime, violence, and lawlessness.”
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“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 said. “At a time when law enforcement is working every day 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.”
Officials with the county said they’ve had discussions with Rockstar Games but nothing has been formally agreed to or approved.
“Given Miami-Dade’s clear influence on the game, we think there could be a unique opportunity to generate revenue for the County while showcasing Miami-Dade to a massive audience,” a county official said in a statement Friday.
Bermudez called for transparency regarding any discussions between the county and Rockstar Games, along with exploring the public benefits and costs, but said it shouldn’t be considered.
“I still cannot believe that we are even considering temporarily rebranding important County assets, including Miami International Airport, as ‘Vice City Airport,'” Bermudez said. “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.”
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