Miami-Dade officials oppose ‘Vice City Airport’ rebrand for GTA VI launch
Key Points(5)
- GTA VI is set in the fictional state of Leonida and features Vice City, a fictionalized version of Miami.
- “I still cannot believe that we are even considering temporarily rebranding important County assets, including Miami International Airport, as ‘Vice City Airport,’” Bermudez said.
- “Miami-Dade County has spent decades building a reputation as a world-class destination for tourism, business, investment, and opportunity.
- Cordero-Stutz raised similar concerns, pointing to the criminal activity depicted throughout the Grand Theft Auto franchise.
- “Grand Theft Auto is a video game franchise built around criminal activity,” the sheriff said.
Miami-Dade County Commissioner Juan Carlos Bermudez and Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz are pushing back against reports that County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava is exploring a partnership with Rockstar Games for the launch of Grand Theft Auto VI, including the possibility of temporarily rebranding Miami International Airport as “Vice City Airport.”
The proposed promotion could extend well beyond the airport, with reports suggesting an aircraft could be wrapped in Vice City branding, while the Metromover could receive similar branding and Grand Theft Auto VI logos could be placed on manhole covers across the county.
The mayor’s office defended exploring the potential partnership Thursday, pointing to Miami-Dade’s influence on the highly anticipated video game.
“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 mayor’s office said in a statement.
Grand Theft Auto VI is set in the fictional state of Leonida and features Vice City, a fictionalized version of Miami.
Bermudez and Cordero-Stutz, however, argued that county resources and facilities should not be used to promote a video game franchise centered on crime and violence.
“I still cannot believe that we are even considering temporarily rebranding important County assets, including Miami International Airport, as ‘Vice City Airport,’” Bermudez said.
“Miami-Dade County has spent decades building a reputation as a world-class destination for tourism, business, investment, and opportunity. We should be promoting the Miami-Dade we have worked so hard to build, not a fictional version of our community defined by crime and violence.”
Bermudez also called for transparency surrounding any discussions between Miami-Dade County and Rockstar Games, urging the administration to disclose the potential costs, use of county resources and public benefits associated with any partnership.
Cordero-Stutz raised similar concerns, pointing to the criminal activity depicted throughout the Grand Theft Auto franchise.
“Grand Theft Auto is a video game franchise built around criminal activity. 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 said.
The sheriff said the county should consider the message such a partnership could send while law enforcement is working to reduce violent crime, robberies, car thefts and drug trafficking.
“At a time when law enforcement is working every day to reduce violent crime, prevent robberies and car thefts, combat drug trafficking, and build stronger relationships between our deputies and the communities we serve, I believe we need to seriously consider the message we send when our own government promotes a fictional identity centered around many of those same crimes,” Cordero-Stutz said.
The officials ended their statement with a pointed declaration: “Miami-Dade County is not Vice City.”
