Miami HEAT will play as 'Vice City' on Nov. 18, the eve of GTA 6's launch

The Miami HEAT will take the court as "Vice City" on Nov. 18, the night before Grand Theft Auto VI launches. The team announced the event, "A Night in Vice City," with Rockstar Games on Oct. 2: the HEAT host the Milwaukee Bucks at Kaseya Center at 7 p.m. ET, and the game airs nationally on ESPN and on Local 10 in South Florida.

The HEAT's press release calls it a "historic partnership" with Rockstar around the release of GTA 6. The night comes with a special court, a uniform the team has never worn and programming in the arena. On Rockstar's own channels, the event has drawn one post on X so far: two emojis and no words.

Nov. 18 at Kaseya Center

In the release's words, the HEAT "will take the court as 'Vice City'" that night.

A one-night court and a new uniform

The HEAT promise a special court, billed as "One court, one night only," and "a uniform never previously worn." Neither design has been revealed. The team's Vice City page has a sign-up for the uniform reveal.

The release also mentions programming and live elements on the night, and the event page promises "special activities starting on Opening Night inside Kaseya Center." The HEAT and Rockstar "will continue to share more news over the next few weeks," the release says, with updates at HEAT.com/ViceCity. That address now leads to the HEAT's Vice City uniform page.

The "Welcome to Vice City" sign

The "Welcome to Vice City" sign on Kaseya Center's roof was lit Oct. 1, according to the HEAT's release. WLRN reported Sept. 18 that Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava signed a deal worth nearly $1 million for that sign.

Local press has reported two other Miami-area votes on GTA 6 marketing. Miami Beach commissioners voted 4-3 on Sept. 10 to let the city manager negotiate "Vice City" or "VI" branding on beach chairs and umbrellas, WSVN reported, and reports say no contract was final. NBC 6 South Florida reported Sept. 16 that City of Miami commissioners approved a proposal to allow large GTA 6 banners downtown. These are actions by local governments, as reported by local outlets. Rockstar and Take-Two have not announced any of them.

Merchandise from the HEAT, not Rockstar

A Vice City collection from the HEAT's Court Culture line went on sale Oct. 2 at Miami HEAT Store locations and MiamiHeatStore.com. The event page shows tees and a crop top at $45 to $55. These are HEAT products, not Rockstar Store items.

Rockstar's own Vice City merchandise is a separate product: The Goodtime State: Vice City Collection, a collector's box sold on the Rockstar Store. It does not include the game.

What Rockstar has posted

The HEAT posted a 35-second video on X at 11:13 a.m. ET on Oct. 2: "Bright lights. Vice City. A Night in Vice City tips off November 18." At 11:19 a.m., Rockstar's account quote-posted it with a palm tree emoji and a basketball emoji, and no words.

Rockstar has issued no statement or Newswire post of its own. The latest GTA 6 post on its Newswire, through Oct. 7, was the Sept. 24 announcement of the collector's box, and its Oct. 8 post, on the game's radio stations, does not mention the HEAT.

What hasn't been announced

• The court and uniform designs. Neither has been revealed.
• A statement from Rockstar. So far there is only the quote-post on X.
• A tie-in with the game. Nothing announced says whether the night connects to GTA 6 itself.
• The terms of the deal. They are not public.
• Kaseya Center in GTA 6. Rockstar has not said. Its official screenshot Vice City 08 shows a lit arena by the bay with a "sahara arena" sign, but fans' claims that the Sahara Arena stands in for Kaseya Center are not confirmed.

GTA 6 launches Nov. 19 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, the day after the HEAT's Vice City night. Our countdown runs to the start of Nov. 19 in your time zone, and our release date guide covers launch timing and the delay history. For GTA 6's Vice City itself, see our Vice City page.

Update log

• Oct. 8, 2026: Added that an arena signed "sahara arena" appears in Rockstar's official screenshot Vice City 08; what it stands for is still unconfirmed. We also noted Rockstar's Oct. 8 Newswire post, which does not mention the HEAT.