{
  "id": 9330271,
  "title": "‘Vice City’ Trademark Abandoned by WWE ahead of GTA 6 launch",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/vice-city-trademark-abandoned-by-wwe-ahead-of-gta-6-launch",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-23T11:33:38.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IGN",
    "slug": "ign",
    "url": "https://www.ign.com/articles/vice-city-trademark-abandoned-by-wwe-ahead-of-gta-6-launch"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "WWE abandoned its attempt to trademark the term \"Vice City\" shortly after filing on August 8, just over a month before the launch of GTA 6. The trademark filing, revealed in a recent report, suggests that WWE may have been attempting to create a themed connection to Lola Vice, a WWE wrestler recently promoted to the main roster. This connection is further supported by the fact that Vice City is the real-life location that GTA’s Vice City is based on, with the wrestler herself hailing from Miami, Florida. While the exact reason for the abandonment of the trademark is unknown, it is reasonable to assume that Rockstar Games, the creator of the GTA series, would have been protective of their trademarked name, which has been used for over two decades. In response to WWE's efforts, Rockstar Games has increased its promotional efforts in Miami, spending nearly $1 million on \"Welcome to Vice City\" signage. Additionally, GTA 6 is expected to feature activities such as backyard wrestling and a nod to John Cena's Attitude Adjustment finisher. The upcoming release of GTA 6 on November 19 is expected to have a significant impact on the sports and entertainment world, potentially even leading to a \"league-wide\" drop in performance for basketball players and coaches.",
  "summary": "With GTA 6 imminent, it appears that WWE was trying to trademark the term ‘Vice City,’ before abandoning plans to do so.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}