MIAMI BEACH — Two different Grand Theft Auto VI marketing questions are now moving on two different tracks in South Florida: Miami Beach’s City Commission voted 4-3 on Thursday, September 10 to approve its own, narrower deal with Rockstar Games, even as Miami-Dade County’s much larger proposed partnership — covering the airport, PortMiami, and Metrorail — remains stalled, unapproved, and now opposed by the county’s chief judge as well as its sheriff.
Miami Beach Says Yes, After a Heated Debate
The Miami Beach Commission approved a marketing agreement with Rockstar Games in a contentious meeting on Thursday evening, following what multiple outlets described as a surprisingly heated debate over the game’s violent content.
The deal, expected to bring Rockstar’s spending to around $3 to $4 million into city coffers, restricts the company to marketing only the terms “VI” and “Vice City” on private beach equipment — specifically chairs and umbrellas managed by Boucher Brothers, the beach concessions operator.
Notably, Rockstar’s own game includes a parody of Boucher Brothers called “Sol Sisters,” an irony not lost on local coverage of the deal.
The campaign is set to run from October 15 through December 31, 2026, and commissioners were explicit that no marketing material will appear on city-owned property such as lifeguard stands, and none will be promoted during Art Basel in December.
During the discussion, Commissioner David Suárez played footage from both GTA V and GTA VI’s extended trailer to argue the franchise conflicts with Miami Beach’s values, questioning whether the deal was worth pursuing regardless of its financial terms.
Commissioners Laura Domínguez and Mónica Matteo-Salinas took the opposing view, with Domínguez pointing to the scale of the gaming industry and arguing the marketing would be “discreet enough” while bringing meaningful revenue the city could put to good use.
The vote ultimately passed 4-3.