Miami-Dade's $3.9 million GTA 6 deal: pink and blue lights for the airport, port cranes and traffic boxes
The county that is home to the real Miami will light up its airport and port cranes in GTA 6 colors before launch. Here is what the deal covers and why not everyone is happy.
GTA 6 is set in Leonida, Rockstar's take on Florida, and Vice City is its version of Miami. Three weeks before launch, the real Miami-Dade County has decided to lean into the comparison: it has signed a promotional package with Rockstar Games worth about $3.9 million.
What the deal covers
According to the county's announcement and local coverage, Miami International Airport and the cranes at PortMiami will be lit in the pink and blue tones of the game's artwork. The airport's pedestrian walkways get displays, and the game's color gradient will appear on traffic-signal cabinets. A separate advertising buy covers the public transit network: Metromover, Metrobus and Metrorail.
According to reports, the $3.9 million figure also takes in the "Welcome to Vice City" sign that already sits on the Kaseya Center, home of the Miami Heat, which was worth $975,000 on its own. The county says that money will go to a park at Dan Paul Plaza.
Smaller than first imagined, and not without critics
Reports say an early idea went as far as rebranding the airport itself; the final package is more modest. Even so, the deal has drawn criticism locally, including from leadership at the Sheriff's Office.
Part of a bigger Florida push
This is not Rockstar's only real-world stunt in South Florida. On November 18, the eve of launch, the Miami Heat's home game against the Milwaukee Bucks is billed as "A Night In Vice City", with redesigned uniforms and a one-off themed court. GTA 6 itself arrives on November 19 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S; our release page explains when it unlocks where you live, country by country.