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| The Miami Heat will become “Vice City” for one night ahead of the GTA 6 launch, complete with new jerseys and a specially designed court. |
Rockstar Games has spent years turning real American cities into fictional GTA settings. Now, for one of its latest marketing collaborations, the studio is flipping the script. On November 18, 2026—exactly one day before Grand Theft Auto VI arrives—the Miami Heat will pay tribute to their fictional counterpart with “A Night in Vice City” at the Kaseya Center. The Heat will face the Milwaukee Bucks in a game that will be wrapped in GTA-themed presentation.
Bright lights. Vice City. A Night in Vice City tips off November 18. https://t.co/zZGGcrYyiS
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) October 2, 2026
The makeover is already visible outside the arena. A recent video shared by the Miami Heat on X shows the huge “Welcome to Vice” sign on the roof of the Kaseya Center has been completed, complete with lighting effects. Meanwhile, GTA VI is available for pre-order on Amazon ahead of its November 19 launch.
For the event, the Heat are promising a custom court, new jerseys and additional activities. The jersey design is still being kept secret, and more details about the rest of the program are expected later. Fans can already buy matching merchandise from the official Miami Heat Store. The Vice City Collection features T-shirts, hoodies and caps. Shirts range from $45 to $55, snapbacks cost $50 and the hoodie is priced at $100. The line is part of the Heat’s Court Culture label and is separate from Rockstar’s own GTA 6 merchandise.
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| The Vice City Collection from the Miami Heat’s Court Culture label. |
The collaboration is going over well on Reddit. Even some users who usually have little interest in basketball say they plan to watch the game. The idea of real-world Miami briefly becoming its fictional GTA counterpart appears to be a big hit with fans. One of the biggest questions in the discussion is how much Rockstar might be paying for a promotion of this size. Others point out that the Heat are probably benefiting just as much from the huge attention surrounding GTA 6. The merchandise is also earning plenty of praise, with several commenters saying they prefer it to Rockstar’s own Collector’s Box. The prices and steep international shipping costs, however, are proving much less popular.
Whether fans are tuning in for the basketball, the GTA spectacle or both, “A Night in Vice City” looks set to be one of the most unusual sports-marketing crossovers of the year. And if the early reaction is any indication, Vice City’s neon-soaked energy is already fitting right in with Miami.