Miami-Dade County Sheriff and Commissioner Oppose GTA 6 Marketing Proposal

A proposed mass marketing campaign designed to promote the upcoming video game Grand Theft Auto 6 in Miami-Dade County has met with strong opposition from local officials, including Miami-Dade County Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz. The real-world county serves as the inspiration for the game's fictional setting, Vice City.

According to a report by Insider Gaming, the mayor’s office was previously in talks with executives representing the game's creators regarding a major marketing deal. The proposed campaign would have featured "Welcome to Vice City" signs displayed at local airports, promotional billboards, and a wrap for Miami's Metromover train. However, the potential partnership has faced significant local backlash.

Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz spoke out against the proposal, emphasizing the conflict between the game’s themes and the daily duties of local law enforcement. "Grand Theft Auto is a video game franchise built around criminal activity," Cordero-Stutz stated, as reported by the Miami Herald. "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."

Miami-Dade Commissioner Juan Carlos Bermudez, who is a frontrunner for the next mayoral seat, echoed these concerns. Bermudez argued that the county should focus on promoting its real-world reputation rather than a fictional depiction centered on crime. "Miami-Dade County has spent decades building a reputation as a world-class destination for tourism, business, investment, and opportunity," Bermudez stated. "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."

It remains unclear how much funding was requested from Take-Two Interactive and Rockstar Games for the campaign, and there is no confirmation on whether the marketing proposal will move forward. Grand Theft Auto 6 is scheduled for release on November 19.