GTA 6: Miami transforms into Vice City ahead of launch

Grand Theft Auto VI launches on November 19, 2026, and its real-world marketing campaign has just become tangible: Rockstar has had a huge “Welcome to Vice City” sign installed on the roof of the Kaseya Center, the Miami Heat’s arena in the heart of Miami. Miami-Dade County, which owns the building, agreed to a $975,000 deal with Rockstar for the temporary installation. Here is what we know about the campaign, the agreement and the controversy surrounding it.

A “Welcome to Vice City” sign on the Kaseya Center’s roof

On Tuesday, September 22, 2026, a helicopter placed enormous pink letters one by one on the roof of the Kaseya Center, beside the bay and facing downtown Miami. Together, they spell out “Welcome to Vice City”. The sign faces the sky: it can be read from the air, particularly by aircraft approaching Miami International Airport a few kilometers away.

The Kaseya Center is the arena of the Miami Heat, the city’s NBA franchise. Miami-Dade County owns the building, which explains why the campaign involved a public negotiation. Local police closed the area around the arena during the installation, and footage of the work quickly spread across social media and downtown public webcams.

A $975,000 deal signed without a commission vote

The amount became public in unusual circumstances: at 1:30 a.m. on September 18, during Miami-Dade County’s second overnight budget hearing. Christopher Hudtwalcker, chief of staff to Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, told officials that the county had signed a marketing agreement with Rockstar for the sign, calling GTA 6’s launch the “biggest cultural phenomenon of the year”. Local reporting put the deal at $975,000.

The mayor signed the agreement without a commission vote, as her delegated authority allows for contracts below $1 million. The procedure irritated several officials. Commissioner Oliver Gilbert III highlighted the risk of splitting a campaign into several contracts below that threshold to avoid any vote: “You could do $900,000 for this, $700,000 for that, $400,000 for that… and never go before the commission.”

According to officials, the funds from this agreement are intended to develop land behind the Kaseya Center that has long been promised for community use, including a park. Commissioner Juan Carlos Bermudez instead proposed redirecting revenue from GTA 6 marketing agreements to the county sheriff’s office.

Political reactions: local pride and criticism

The campaign has not gone unnoticed among local politicians. Bermudez summed up his reservations during the same budget hearing: “It’s a game where police officers are killed. Pedestrians are run over. And we’re going to make money from a game that glorifies that.” Commissioner Natalie Milian Orbis said she was disappointed to have learned about the negotiations through the press, while discussions were already underway about locations such as Miami’s airport and a Metromover train.

Other officials took the opposite view. Commission Vice Chairman Kionne McGhee said he lets his six-year-old daughter play Grand Theft Auto under his supervision, noting that even in the game, she “stops at red lights”. The exchange captures the local debate: the city is proud to host what looks like the year’s biggest cultural launch, while fiercely debating the public money surrounding it.

What this means for the next two months

This sign is just the beginning. The mayor and her team said other advertising agreements with Rockstar were being discussed for other county properties, while Miami Beach and the City of Miami already have their own agreements with the publisher. According to local reporting, the Kaseya Center sign could remain in place until around 2028, and the arena is expected to offer Rockstar merchandise.

On Rockstar’s side, the communications schedule is accelerating with two months until release: the announcement of Grand Theft Auto VI: The Album and its six singles, followed by this physical takeover of Miami. The November 19, 2026 release date remains unchanged on PS5 and Xbox Series, as detailed in our article on Rockstar’s release date and communications timeline. While waiting to discover Vice City in the game, you can already explore Leonida through our interactive map and locations database.