Summary

  • An early build of GTA: Vice City has leaked online.
  • Various car and character models appear different, along with select music tracks.
  • Some leakers believe this build was made for GameSpot just a month before the title's full release, though this is unconfirmed.

An early build version of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City has been uncovered, revealing a few interesting tidbits about the game's development and what the title could have looked like. First shared on social media, the pre-launch copy of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City includes several interesting differences when compared to the full game, some of which will surprise hardcore fans of Rockstar's catalog.

There's no doubt that Rockstar has created some of the best open worlds in the video game industry, with Vice City being one of them. Released over two decades ago and steeped in neon and a vibrant 1980s aesthetic, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City remains one of Rockstar's most interesting worlds to date and, as such, has spawned a dedicated community of fans. These fans are constantly looking for every new bit of information about Vice City, leading to this most recent leak, which reveals a few surprising details about the game.

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Shared on Twitter by GTA content creator and scooper Vadim M., this newly discovered pre-release version of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City has a lot going on under the hood. Believed to be a PS2 build of the game dated October 2, 2002, this version of Vice City features several changes when compared to the full release. Various car and character models are different, as are select music tracks. Vice City's iconic intro and cutscene animations are also different in this pre-release version. While unconfirmed, leakers speculate that this build of Vice City was made for GameSpot just a month prior to its full release.

Early Version of GTA: Vice City Leaks Online

Leaks are nothing new for Rockstar, with the studio becoming one of the most high-profile companies in the video game industry. Fans are always clamoring for more information regarding Rockstar's next project, with some going above and beyond to break the news illegally. While the studio has faced numerous instances of unfortunate leaks, none have been as large or as surprising as what happened with Grand Theft Auto 6 in 2023, when hours of footage was revealed which resulted in the arrest of a notable hacker.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City has always been one of Rockstar's most beloved releases, even more so now with the previously mentioned Grand Theft Auto 6 on the horizon. GTA 6 was long rumored to take fans back to Vice City, which acts as Rockstar's exaggerated and custom version of the real-life city of Miami. These rumors swirled for some time until leaks all but proved GTA 6 would, in fact, be returning to Vice City. However, this familiar locale is one small part of the puzzle, with GTA 6's home actually being Loenida, Rockstar's version of Florida. An official release date for GTA 6 is still yet to be announced, though the game is expected to launch sometime later in 2025.