News
The Miami Heat Will Play as Vice City the Night Before GTA VI Launches
The city that Vice City is modelled on is joining the launch. The Miami Heat have announced a GTA VI-themed home game for the night before the game comes out.
The details
| Date | Wednesday 18 November 2026 — the eve of launch |
|---|---|
| Game | Miami Heat v Milwaukee Bucks |
| Venue | Kaseya Center, Miami |
| Tip-off | 7pm ET, on ESPN |
| Court | A special hardwood “built for Vice City” |
| Uniforms | An all-new design; not shown yet |
The team calls it “a historic partnership” and “a never-been-done-before event on the eve of the highly anticipated release of Grand Theft Auto VI”, with live events and other activations around the game. Tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster. A line of GTA VI x Miami Heat merchandise was announced alongside it; prices have not been published.
The timing
Tip-off is 7pm in Miami. Digital copies unlock at midnight in each region’s main time zone, so the game in the arena ends a couple of hours before the game on consoles begins on the US East Coast. Our launch day page has the unlock times and the countdown runs to the minute.
Why Miami
Vice City has been Rockstar’s version of Miami since 2002, and the Heat have worn “Vice” colours of their own for years. Vice City history and Leonida vs Florida cover the real places behind the map.
Sources
- Miami Heat rebrand as Vice City for GTA 6 release day — RockstarINTEL, 2 October 2026.
- New GTA 6 x Miami Heat merchandise announced — RockstarINTEL, 2 October 2026.
Every factual claim above is labelled as confirmed or unconfirmed and traced to the source listed here. Where Rockstar has said nothing, this page says so rather than filling the gap.