Miami Gamer Claims Viral Vice City Ad Video Led to Job Loss: ‘GTA 6 Cost Me My Job’

The buzz around Grand Theft Auto 6 is intensifying, with Miami becoming a canvas for advertisements promoting Vice City, the backdrop of Rockstar’s highly anticipated open-world sequel. Recently, one individual involved in putting up these ads found himself out of a job after sharing an early glimpse of the “Vice City” branding on some beach chairs.

Earlier this month, videos and images surfaced on social media showcasing Vice City- and GTA 6-themed chairs and umbrellas on a Miami beach. This beach furniture is part of a broader marketing campaign that also features blimps and an NBA game, all taking place in the city that inspired Vice City. However, the person who recorded the initial viral footage faced repercussions.

TikTok user Graham Simmon shared a video detailing the aftermath:

“A few days ago, I posted a video where I was unboxing [these GTA 6] chairs on the beach,” Simmon explained on October 20. “All the chairs, umbrellas, cabanas. I posted it; it had less than 1,000 views, and I was told to take them down. Unfortunately for me, people took those and posted them all over the internet, all over Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and it went kind of viral.”

Simmon stated that the company he worked for “didn’t like that,” leading to his termination. “So yeah, basically GTA 6 cost me my job.”

Despite the situation, Simmon, who mentioned he was new and unaware of any restrictions on recording and sharing footage, isn’t holding a grudge. In the description of his TikTok video about his firing, he acknowledged it was “his fault” and clarified that he wasn’t “blaming the company.” Instead, he simply wanted to share what he found to be a “funny story.”

Grand Theft Auto 6 is set to launch on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox.