miami-dade sheriff not happy about the vice city marketing plan for gta 6

GamesRadar has a piece up about a GTA 6 marketing idea that's already rubbing local law enforcement the wrong way. The plan, as they describe it, is to turn parts of Miami-Dade into Vice City for promo purposes. You know, lean into the real world inspiration for the game's setting.

The sheriff isn't having it. His response basically comes down to the fact that his department is out there every day trying to reduce violent crime, and turning the county into a GTA backdrop sends a weird message. He didn't name Rockstar or anyone specific, but the concern is pretty clear. A county that deals with real crime doesn't want to be marketed as a fictional crime playground.

I get both sides here. Vice City is obviously built on Miami, so a local tie-in makes sense from a hype perspective. But I can also see why a sheriff would push back. GTA's reputation is what it is, and local officials have to answer to residents who might not be thrilled about their home being used as a backdrop for a game about stealing cars and running from cops.

It's not like Rockstar needs the extra marketing anyway. The game is already massive on its own. This feels more like a tourism board or local business idea than anything official from Rockstar, but who knows.

Would a Vice City rebrand actually hurt the county's image, or is the sheriff overthinking a harmless promo tie-in?

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Source: GamesRadar+ · Curated content.