GTA 6 Set to Transform Miami in Real Life

After a series of delays, Grand Theft Auto 6 is finally on the horizon. Developer Rockstar is ramping up the game’s marketing efforts, including a recent 27-minute extended preview that aired on Netflix. Set in the fictional state of Leonida, which draws inspiration from Florida, the game will feature Vice City, the series’ take on Miami. In anticipation of the game’s November 19 launch, officials in Miami are eager to get involved.

Recently, the Miami Beach city council approved a $3 million marketing initiative that will see the game promoted in a “discreet” manner by the hospitality firm Boucher Brothers. According to Commissioner Laura Dominguez, the company’s branding will appear on beach chairs and umbrellas, but not in prominent public spaces or on city property. “Our city manager and those of us who have engaged have been very clear that this is not to be an in-your-face marketing campaign,” added Commissioner Tanya K. Bhatt.

The decision wasn’t without controversy, passing with a narrow 4-3 vote. This approval allows Miami Beach to negotiate a deal with Rockstar that could bring in at least $3 million.

Commissioner David Suarez expressed concerns about the nature of the game, stating, “Grand Theft Auto is an adult video game where players steal cars, deal drugs, commit robberies, murder civilians, and assassinate police officers. That’s their right. They can make it, they can sell it, and they can advertise it. But that doesn’t mean that the city of Miami Beach has to help them do it.” He highlighted the ongoing efforts of Miami police to combat the very crimes depicted in the game and argued that partnering with Rockstar would undermine the city’s image.

In contrast, Commissioner Joseph Magazine dismissed the notion that police would be offended by the game’s marketing. “One actually kind of laughed at me, he goes, ‘Dude, you think a video game is going to change what we do in the city or that’s what we’re worried about?'”

Commissioner Monica Matteo-Salinas, a gamer herself, noted that Miami isn’t going to turn into a live-action version of GTA. “We’re not giving away pistols and cocaine to people,” she said, emphasizing that playing the game or seeing its logo wouldn’t lead her to crime.

Ultimately, the revenue generated from the GTA 6 marketing campaign could help fund important projects that have been sidelined. “Protecting Miami Beach doesn’t mean hiding. It doesn’t mean shooing something away that’s going to happen. It means the confidence to engage, to strike partnerships, to actually take control over something that we can embrace,” Magazine stated. One potential beneficiary of this funding is the renovation of Florida’s Flamingo Park Memorial Football Field.

This vote follows a proposal from Miami-Dade county officials to bring GTA advertisements to the city, including themed baggage claim areas, artwork, and Vice City-inspired manhole covers. However, Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz voiced her objections, echoing Commissioner Suarez’s concerns about the game’s criminal elements. “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,” she remarked.

Once Miami Beach and Rockstar finalize their agreement, GTA 6 will subtly take over Miami from October 15 through December 31. The game is set to launch digitally for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X on November 19.