Issue No. 2 · 5 min read
Vice City Comes to Miami
From the Heat's roof to Wynwood's walls: every GTA VI promotion around Miami we could confirm, plus a tour of the map. Every line checked.
Watch the recapVice City Comes to Miami: the 6-minute video recap
Welcome back. With twenty days to go, Vice City has started spilling out of the screen and into a real city. This week's Letter is a field trip: every Miami promotion we could confirm, and who confirmed it.
20days to GTA VIThursday, November 19 · PS5 & Xbox Series X|S
The week in Leonida
Not all of it started this week, but together it's the story of the month.
The big one
"Welcome to Vice City," says the Heat's roof
The roof of Kaseya Center, home of the Miami Heat, now reads "Welcome to Vice City." WSVN reported crews putting it up on September 22.
One night only
The Heat play as Vice City on November 18
"A Night in Vice City" is the Heat's home game against the Milwaukee Bucks at 7 PM ET, the night before launch, on a court built for the night and in a reimagined uniform. It airs nationally on ESPN.
Court Culture Vice City apparel is on sale at the Miami HEAT Store, in person and online, and the Heat promises more activations on the night itself.
On the menu
Burger Shot and Cluckin' Bell open at the arena
The game's two fast-food chains have real stands inside Kaseya Center: Burger Shot in sections 105, 120, 308 and 324, Cluckin' Bell in section 325, the Heat says. Its advice is to find them "before somebody eats your order," which is about as Vice City as customer service gets.
On the sand
Vice City umbrellas on Miami Beach
Fortune reports that Miami Beach's City Commission approved Vice City-branded beach chairs and umbrellas, on the sand from October 15 to December 31. WSVN filmed a Goodyear blimp reading "Vice City" over South Florida on October 15.
Around town
Weazel News and eCola, on real streets
VGC reports posters and digital ads for the game's fictional brands around Miami, Weazel News, eCola, Fruit and Vault Nightclub among them, plus Vice City branding on buses and taxis. Rockstar hasn't commented on the sightings. A city full of ads for products that don't exist is, in fairness, very on brand.
Free for locals
Wynwood Walls goes Vice City
Through a partnership with Rockstar, Wynwood Walls says Miami-Dade residents get in free through 2028 with a photo ID showing a county address. It has also unveiled 10 new murals by artists whose work appears in GTA VI.
The artists are Askew One, DENIAL, FAILE, Gons and Audet, Lady AIKO, Queen Andrea, Ron English, Tristan Eaton, and Miami's own ATOMIK and Tatiana Suarez. An Art of Vice City merchandise collection is on pre-order through the museum's shop.
Save the date
Free tickets to BAYO in Little Haiti
Michaël Brun's BAYO marks ten years with a show in Little Haiti on Sunday, November 22. Every ticket is free through a raffle at bayotour.com, "courtesy of Rockstar Games," and each winner gets two.
Know your Leonida
Last week took you to Grassrivers and Port Gellhorn. This week, the other four corners of the map, in Rockstar's own words.
Tour the map
The city
Vice City
Rockstar promises "the neon-soaked streets of Vice City," and its footage delivers: an Ocean Drive-style neon strip, a rooftop bar downtown and beaches packed with people.
Watch our episode →
The islands
Leonida Keys
"Gateway to paradise," says Rockstar, "right on the doorstep of some of the most beautiful and dangerous waters in all of America." It's also where Jason works for local drug runners.
Watch our episode →
Sugar town
Ambrosia
A company town built around the Allied Crystal sugar refinery, "Keeping Leonida Sweet." Rockstar says a biker gang takes care of everything the sugar company doesn't.
Watch our episode →
The wild north
Mount Kalaga
Rockstar's "Wild, Wild Country": room to roam on the state's northern edge, with hunting, fishing and off-road trails, and locals who live well away from government scrutiny.
Watch our episode →
Images: Rockstar Games
Watch this week
Mark your calendar
- November 9: Take-Two reports its July-to-September results after the market closes, its last report before launch. The quarter ends before release, so no GTA VI sales are in it.
- November 12: pre-loading opens. Physical copies come with a download code instead of a disc, and it works for pre-loading too.
- November 18: the Miami Heat play as "Vice City" against the Milwaukee Bucks at Kaseya Center.
- November 19: launch day on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Standard Edition $79.99, Ultimate Edition $99.99.
- Before November 20: every pre-order or purchase includes the free Vintage Vice City Pack. Digital pre-orders also get a month of GTA+.
- November 22: BAYO's free 10th-anniversary show in Little Haiti (raffle tickets at bayotour.com).
From the desk
Seen Vice City out in the wild? If you're in Miami and spot something we missed, tell us what and where. Reply below. See you next Friday, thirteen days out.
Sources: WSVN 7News, September 23, 2026 ("Welcome to Vice City" sign installed on the Kaseya Center roof on September 22). The Miami Heat's Vice City page, HEAT.com/ViceCity (A Night in Vice City, November 18, 7 PM ET, against the Milwaukee Bucks; Vice City court and reimagined uniform; Burger Shot in sections 105, 120, 308 and 324 and Cluckin' Bell in section 325; Court Culture Vice City apparel) and the Heat's October 2, 2026 announcement as reported by ESPN and VGC (ESPN national broadcast). Fortune, October 19, 2026 (Miami Beach City Commission approval of Vice City-branded beach chairs and umbrellas, October 15 to December 31). WSVN 7News, October 15, 2026 (Goodyear blimp reading "Vice City" over South Florida). VGC, October 22, 2026 (fictional-brand posters and digital ads, buses and taxis; Rockstar has not commented on individual sightings). Wynwood Walls and Rockstar Games, joint Instagram post, October 13, 2026, and thewynwoodwalls.com/miami-dade (free admission for Miami-Dade residents through 2028, 10 new murals and their artists, Art of Vice City collection); Miami New Times. BAYO tour FAQ, bayotour.com (November 22, 2026 show in Little Haiti, free raffle tickets courtesy of Rockstar Games, two per winner). Rockstar's place descriptions on its GTA VI website (Leonida Keys, Ambrosia, Mount Kalaga National Park) and its Trailer 1 description ("the neon-soaked streets of Vice City"); Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look (August 27, 2026) for the Vice City footage; Rockstar's Jason Duval bio. Take-Two Interactive investor relations, October 13, 2026 (results for the quarter ended September 30, 2026, after the market close on November 9). Rockstar's pre-order announcement, June 24, 2026, via Business Wire and Game Developer (launch date, platforms, prices, pre-loading, download code, Vintage Vice City Pack, GTA+). Photos and artwork on the Kaseya Center, game-night and food-stand cards: Miami HEAT. Miami Beach, Brickell and Wynwood Walls images: Pexels (Foster; Mo Qian). Other images: official Rockstar Games screenshots. Vice After Dark is a fan channel, not affiliated with Rockstar Games or Take-Two Interactive.
The Leonida Letter is written by Vice After Dark, a fan channel. Not affiliated with, endorsed or sponsored by Rockstar Games or Take-Two Interactive. Every fact is checked against Rockstar's own words or official footage.