Miami-Dade County Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz and Commissioner Juan Carlos “JC” Bermudez are publicly opposing a reported marketing partnership between the county and Rockstar Games tied to Grand Theft Auto VI. The proposal, which has not been formally approved, includes the possibility of temporarily rebranding Miami International Airport as “Vice City Airport” and placing GTA VI-themed installations across county property. Miami-Dade issued an official statement on September 3 confirming the pair’s opposition.
The dispute stems from plans Miami-Dade has explored as a way to capitalize on the attention surrounding GTA VI and its fictional Vice City setting. A proposal obtained through local reporting suggested airport branding, Vice City-themed signage, transit installations and other public displays inspired by Rockstar’s fictional version of South Florida. The earlier proposed GTA VI partnership with Miami-Dade County was pitched as both a tourism opportunity and a potential new source of revenue.
Bermudez argues that using major public assets to promote Grand Theft Auto sends the wrong message about Miami-Dade. In the county’s statement, he specifically objected to the possibility of Miami International Airport being temporarily presented as “Vice City Airport,” saying the county has spent decades building its reputation around tourism, business, investment and opportunity. He also called for greater transparency over what discussions have taken place with Rockstar, how public resources might be used and what financial benefit Miami-Dade would receive.
Cordero-Stutz focused more directly on the content of the Grand Theft Auto franchise. The sheriff said GTA’s fictional world includes murder, robbery, drug trafficking, carjacking and violence against law enforcement, all of which directly contrast with crimes her department works to prevent. She argued that county officials should carefully consider what message would be sent by having the government itself promote an identity associated with those activities.
The proposal is broader than simply changing airport signage. Local reporting says concepts considered by Miami-Dade include GTA-inspired baggage claim areas, branded luggage carts and aircraft imagery at Miami International Airport, alongside Vice City-themed Metromover and Metrorail installations. Other ideas reportedly included branded manhole covers, public artwork, a car-culture event and a Vice City-inspired installation at PortMiami.
None of those ideas has received final approval. A county spokesperson previously said Miami-Dade sees an opportunity to generate revenue while presenting the real-world location that inspired GTA VI to the game’s enormous international audience. The mayor’s office has confirmed that conversations have taken place, but has stressed that nothing has been formally agreed to and any proposal would still need to pass through the appropriate county review process.
That distinction is important because Rockstar itself has not publicly announced a Miami-Dade marketing agreement. The current controversy therefore concerns a proposed partnership and the county’s discussions around it, rather than a finalized promotional campaign. Bermudez and Cordero-Stutz are attempting to stop or significantly scrutinize the plan before it reaches that stage.
The debate is particularly unusual because GTA VI openly draws from Miami and wider Florida culture. Rockstar’s Vice City sits within the fictional state of Leonida, with official material showing recognizable influences ranging from Miami’s skyline and beaches to the Everglades and South Florida nightlife. Rockstar has continued expanding the game’s presentation of the region through new GTA VI screenshots showing Vice City and Leonida ahead of launch.
That connection is exactly why county officials initially saw potential commercial value in working with Rockstar. GTA VI is expected to attract global attention to a fictional setting heavily modeled on Miami, creating an unusual opportunity for the real city and county to market themselves alongside the game. Critics now argue that the same connection could associate official Miami-Dade facilities with a franchise whose identity is heavily built around crime and satire.
The proposal remains under discussion, with no Vice City Airport transformation or other Rockstar-backed county installation currently approved. What began as an unconventional GTA VI marketing idea has now developed into a public disagreement inside Miami-Dade government over branding, public resources and how closely the real Miami should associate itself with Rockstar’s fictional one.
