DOS.Zone Relaunches Vice City Browser Port After DMCA Takedown

On December 30, 2025, the DOS.Zone team restored a playable browser version of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, relaunching the project under the name reVCDos after a short removal prompted by a DMCA notice from Take-Two. The updated build changes the way the port operates: the site no longer serves Rockstar or Take-Two game assets from its servers and will only run once a player provides original Vice City game files from their own purchase or backup.

Developers published the port’s source code on GitHub and laid out three conditions for any third party that chooses to host the browser build. Hosts must credit the DOS.Zone team, keep cloud-save functionality intact, and retain the DOS.Zone “Vice City” logo on the site. Those conditions aim to preserve the project’s identity and user convenience while shifting the burden of distributing copyrighted content away from the DOS.Zone servers.

The technical shift has practical implications for players and preservation-minded community members. To use reVCDos you must locate the original Vice City files on your system or copy them from an owned disc, then upload those files into the browser interface so the game can run. Cloud-save compatibility has been preserved, so existing save data should continue to work if you follow the new setup. The change reduces the chance that the project itself will be treated as distributing copyrighted assets, though it does not alter the underlying copyright status of the game files you supply.

The relaunch highlights the ongoing tension between browser-based preservation and rights-holder enforcement. For many in the GTA community, browser ports are an accessible way to revisit classics without complex emulation setups. For rights holders, unauthorized distribution of game assets remains a clear legal line. DOS.Zone’s approach represent a practical middle ground: it keeps the user experience close to the original browser offering while aligning distribution mechanics with copyright constraints.

If you plan to try reVCDos, make sure you own or legitimately possess your Vice City files before uploading them, back up your save data, and check any third-party host for the required credits, cloud-save support, and logo retention. The relaunch keeps the door open for browser-based preservation while reminding the community that legal and technical caution remain necessary.