Vice City Pre-Release Build Leaks Online

After over 20 years, a pre-release version of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City just leaked online, featuring a debug menu, old beta designs and even a different intro.

As reported by Time Extension, this build was shared by GTA Forums user IAmNotToniCipriani, who said that it was first dumped online by “johndoe2”. The build is dated October 2, 2002, but as pointed out by Hidden Palace, the pause menu shows the real compile date of October 1, 2002, ie 28 days before the game launched on PS2.

In such a short timeframe, you wouldn’t expect much to have been changed. But fans speculate that this pre-release build is actually a press preview copy, possibly for GameSpot, and not one intended for the public. That might explain the laundry list of differences, such as beta car models, different Swat team designs, an earlier version of the theme song, alternate cutscene angles, and white police cars.

Fans Are Playing Spot The Difference With The Texture Files

That’s just scratching the surface on what’s different between this supposed preview build and the release version. On the GTA Forums post, user BS_BlackScout continues to share screenshots of textures and models from the pre-release build, comparing them side-by-side with the retail version directly.

There are some subtle differences, like textures being crisper and uncompressed, but there are also much more noticeable tweaks, like Auntie Poulet’s clothes being yellow instead of purple (as they are in the PC version).

Listed below are some of the standout finds:

• The RC Goblin was originally green,
• SWAT uniforms had a much more vibrant blue colour,
• Top Fun logo was originally a much clearer Top Gun riff,
• Reloading the shotgun and M4 only took one millisecond (likely a bug),
• Print Work Asset missions had different icons,
• Sandking had Rockstar logos on the sides and top,
• Melee camera is zoomed further out,
• Intro at Ken’s office shows Ken entering (as pointed out by Darealbandicoot),
• Gang Burrito vehicle comes in multiple colours, not just red.

For a build dated less than a month before release, there are a lot of changes, and fans are still digging through the files right now to find more. This is a striking bit of GTA history that has finally been made public, and it’ll be interesting to see what more the community shakes out of it.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

Released

October 29, 2002

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Violence