WWE lets Vice City trademark lapse during GTA 6 marketing

The timing lines up with Rockstar Games and Take-Two giving Vice City more visibility in GTA 6 marketing.
The same article mentions GTA 6 with an expected release date of November 19.

What happened

Game Rant reports that WWE has let a trademark application for “Vice City” lapse. The article links that development to the increased visibility of Vice City in the marketing for GTA 6, the new game from Rockstar Games and Take-Two. The information provided does not say that WWE issued an official statement about the application lapsing, nor does it include a public explanation of the trademark’s legal status.

According to the publication, Rockstar is putting the Vice City setting more prominently in view. Vice City is the fictional Grand Theft Auto location strongly inspired by Miami and the surrounding region. The article uses that recognizable setting as context for the timing of the trademark development, but it does not cite a document or ruling showing that WWE deliberately withdrew the application. Based on the available information, all that is clear is that the application has lapsed or expired, not why that happened.

Game Rant also mentions November 19 as the expected release date for GTA 6. The material provided does not include any additional confirmation from Rockstar or Take-Two that this date is final. In this context, the date remains an expectation cited by the article, not an officially confirmed release decision. The publication places the trademark issue and the Vice City marketing in the same news context, but does not draw a formal legal conclusion from it.

Timeline

2026-09-23: Game Rant publishes an article about WWE’s “Vice City” trademark application and its link to GTA 6.
2026-09-23: The article mentions GTA 6 with an expected release date of November 19.
2026-09-23: The article says Rockstar is putting Vice City more prominently into GTA 6 marketing.
2026-09-23: The publication states that WWE’s “Vice City” application has lapsed or expired, without citing an official WWE explanation.
2026-09-23: In the same context, Vice City is described as a fictional Grand Theft Auto location heavily inspired by Miami and the surrounding region.

Background

Vice City is a well-known name in the Grand Theft Auto series and refers to a fictional city strongly based on Miami. That is why a trademark name like “Vice City” stands out when it appears in another entertainment context. In this case, it is a term long associated with gaming, while the provided information shows that WWE used the same term in a trademark application.

The article also mentions Lola Vice as part of the broader context around the term. The provided information does not confirm that WWE intentionally withdrew the application or explain why it lapsed. There is also no additional documentation showing that WWE used the name “Vice City” in a specific commercial way or that a public dispute arose with Rockstar Games or Take-Two.

The timing is still relevant to the coverage. Game Rant connects the lapsed application to Vice City’s increased visibility in GTA 6 marketing. That is an editorial link based on the news development, not a confirmed legal or business relationship between WWE and Rockstar. The available facts are limited to three points: the application has lapsed or expired, GTA 6 is associated in the article with November 19, and Rockstar is described as putting Vice City more prominently in view.

Because the provided information does not include official confirmation from Rockstar, Take-Two, or WWE, caution is needed when interpreting it. The publication does not mention a court case, a formal opposition proceeding, or a statement from WWE explaining why the application lapsed. The cited November 19 release date is also only an expected date in this context, not a release plan confirmed by the publishers.