Miami Heat Play as Vice City the Night Before GTA 6

The Miami Heat will play as "Vice City" on 18 November, the night before GTA 6 launches. This is Confirmed: the team's own event page, which we read on 18 October, lists the game, the broadcast and the merchandise. The Heat host the Milwaukee Bucks at Kaseya Center, with tip-off at 7:00 PM ET.

What the Heat's page says

The team's A Night in Vice City page lists the game as "Nov. 18, 2026 - 7:00 PM EST" at "Kaseya Center - Vice City", against the Bucks. The broadcast line reads "ESPN, WPLG Local 10 and FM 104.3 WQAM". The page calls it "a never-been-done-before event on the eve of the highly anticipated release of Grand Theft Auto VI".

Two details are on the record:

• The court. "One court, one night only: The HEAT play on special hardwood built for Vice City." We have no image of it and the page shows no design.
• The uniform. The Heat will wear "a new, completely reimagined uniform for the night". The page offers a sign-up for a "Uniform Drop" but gives no reveal date.

The page adds that more details are coming, including "special activities starting on Opening Night inside Kaseya Center". It gives no specifics, so we have none. The page also never mentions Rockstar or Take-Two by name. It links the event to the game's release, and we are not going to guess what each side contributed.

The merch is already on sale

The Heat's uniform collection page lists four "Court Culture Vice City" items "now available at the Miami HEAT Store, in person and online":

• Grill Oversized Tee: $55
• Souvenir Oversized Tee: $55
• Pool Service Pocket Tee, made with Duvin: $55
• "I (pink heart) Vice City" Crop: $45

These are the Heat's products, sold by the Heat. They are not part of Rockstar's own range, which we cover in our look at the Grand Theft Auto VI Collection at the Rockstar Store.

What time that is in your country

Tip-off at 7:00 PM EST is 00:00 UTC on 19 November. In Germany, Austria and Switzerland that is 01:00 Uhr on launch day. In the UK it is midnight. For players in the US it is a Wednesday evening game, which is why the Heat describe it as the eve of release.

Do not read the tip-off time as an unlock time. Rockstar has not announced one. The PlayStation and Xbox store listings carry regional midnights, with New Zealand first, which would put some players in game hours before the opening whistle. Our unlock time guide has the full table and the caveats.

The county fight over the roof sign

The arena is already part of the campaign. A "Welcome to Vice City" sign sits on the Kaseya Center roof, and that deal has drawn political heat. This part is Reported, from The Miamian and GTA BOOM, not from Rockstar or the county's own documents, which we have not read.

The Miamian reported on 9 October that the sign deal pays Miami-Dade County $975,000, just under the $1 million level at which the mayor needs a commission vote. County commissioners pushed back at a meeting. Rene Garcia said he felt "really uncomfortable with this whole thing". Danielle Cohen Higgins cited a county policy against advertising that promotes pornography, prostitution or violence. GTA BOOM adds that the mayor's office defended the price by valuing the sign at about $139,000 a month over seven months.

The bigger fight is over a wider county plan to dress parts of Miami International Airport, PortMiami and Metromover stations as Vice City. Both outlets say commissioners vote on 20 October on whether the mayor's staff may keep negotiating. As of 18 October the result is not known. If it goes against the plan, it ends the county's role, not the Heat game or the city deals below, which do not run through the county commission.

What is approved, and by whom

Reported status of the Miami-area tie-ins, per GTA BOOM's summary:

Our banner post was written before that city vote, so treat GTA BOOM's "approved" as Reported until we read the city's record. For everything else known about the launch, the everything we know hub is the page we keep current, and the countdown shows the live clock.