Not gonna lie, but at any given moment in Miami-Dade County scenarios will bust out that could easily be in-game situations in the uber popular video game series Grand Theft Auto.
So it makes sense that Miami-Dade County officials recently approached Rockstar Games, the company behind the video game, about reimagining government facilities into real world simulations for the upcoming highly anticipated release of Grand Theft Auto 6 in November.
In the latest iteration of GTA, Rockstar is taking gamers back to Vice City, the fictional place based on Miami that featured prominently in the 2002 installment of the series. To get a handle on what the latest edition is about, Netflix is airing an extended look for subscribers starting today.
Given GTA’s core premise is placing players in an open-world environment where they are rewarded for engaging in unethical, corrupt and criminal activities, using the real world backdrop of the Magic City to promote the sixth edition is totally on brand.
Via a public records request that took some prodding, The Miamian got a hold of a pitch deck presentation county officials submitted to Rockstar on June 29. Carlos Suarez, a spokesperson for Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, confirmed her staff has held “some conversations with Rockstar about potential opportunities around the launch of GTA VI.”
Suarez also added:
“Nothing has been formally agreed to or approved, and any idea would have to go through the appropriate review and approval process. 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.”
The Rockstar pitch deck depicts transforming areas of Miami International Airport, PortMiami, Metrorail stations, Tropical Park and other county-owned buildings and public right-of-ways into real life Vice City attractions.
The synergy is too hard to ignore. Miami inspired the sun-drenched backdrop, pastel colors excess, nightlife, traffic and lurid mythology that Rockstar has repackaged for the masses as Vice City. Now, the potential county marketing package could run in reverse: Rather than merely borrowing Miami’s image, Rockstar can boost more interest in the actual place that inspired Vice City.
The proposed partnership comes with some baggage. The Grand Theft Auto series has long drawn criticism for its violence, sexual content and gleeful lampooning of American excess. These are precisely the qualities that made Vice City both a cultural phenomenon and an uneasy mirror of South Florida. GTA 6 has already generated its own round of disputes, including fan pushback over its reported $79.99 base price, a $99.99 premium edition and complaints about digital-first distribution and content tied to higher-priced editions.
What’s in the pitch deck?
Again, none of the following concepts Miami-Dade pitched Rockstar have been approved and would require a “further feasibility analysis,” but the gamemaker wants to go all out for a Vice City takeover.
At Miami International Airport, the deck envisions an “immersive arrival experience that immediately establishes Miami as the real-world inspiration for Vice City.” The installation’s centerpiece would be a display aircraft wrapped in Vice City logos, alongside a GTA 6-inspired baggage claim, customized baggage-carousels or column wraps, themed luggage carts, limited-edition luggage tags, or coordinated airport signage during the launch period.
In downtown Miami, another concept calls for Metromover cars wrapped in Vice City colors and logos, as well as Vice City signage at Metromover and Metrorail stations in key locations such as the Stephen P. Clark Government Center, Brickell and Bayfront Park. Another idea entails artist-designed utility-box wraps and custom sewer or stormwater manhole covers in downtown Miami and Brickell.
Miami-Dade-owned waterfront properties also figure prominently in the pitch. At PortMiami’s Terminal J cargo side, the deck proposes a large Port Gellhorn-inspired mural or installation incorporating cargo containers, cranes, cruise ships and the working waterfront. At Rickenbacker Beach, Rockstar suggests a Vice City-inspired photo frame, sculpture, shaded overlook or public-art piece incorporating Biscayne Bay, palms, cyclists, boats and sunset views.
Tropical Park, meanwhile, could host a controlled, “family-appropriate” celebration of Miami car culture featuring classic automobiles, lowriders, motorcycles, DJs, food vendors, artists and branded photo installations.
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