Rockstar Games and Miami-Dade County began formal conversations in August 2026 about a marketing campaign centered on the release of Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6) that would transform parts of Miami to resemble the game’s Vice City setting in real life [1, 2].
Over the past decade, Rockstar sent development teams to Miami for immersive research, embedding staff locally to capture the city's culture for GTA 6 [3]. Rockstar has designed the game’s NPCs to be diverse and tailored to Florida’s local environments, delivering a detailed depiction of Miami’s cultural landscape [3].
Miami-Dade officials submitted a detailed pitch deck proposing multiple ambitious marketing ideas, including Vice City branding at Miami International Airport, local beaches, parks, buses, trains, and other public places [1, 2]. The city proposed themed events featuring DJs, exotic vehicles, food vendors, drone light shows, murals, as well as branded manhole covers and utility boxes to enhance the authentic Vice City experience [1]. They also suggested quality of life improvements such as more bus shelters and a "radio lab" with recording equipment to benefit both locals and visitors [1].
There is disagreement over campaign origins: one source claims Rockstar initiated the marketing discussions, while another states Miami-Dade submitted the initial pitch to Rockstar [1, 2]. Regardless, no official plans or agreements have been finalized. All proposed concepts remain under review and require approval before moving forward [1, 2].
The next concrete step is the city and Rockstar awaiting authorization on the submitted proposals before launching any part of the GTA 6-themed marketing campaign in Miami [1, 2].
