WWE appears to compete with GTA as it files 'Vice City' trademark

World Wrestling Entertainment has filed an intriguing trademark that may clash with Rockstar Games’ GTA: Vice City.

As of right now, trying to avoid all talk of Rockstar Games’ ever-popular Grand Theft Auto series is practically an impossible task in the video game industry. It’s long been talk of social media for years, and with GTA VI only months away, expect that to increase further.

Moreover, following Rockstar Games’ announcement this week that an “extended look” at GTA VI will premiere on Netflix later this month (yes, really), don’t expect conversations to cool down anytime soon across social media platforms.

WWE files 'Vice City' trademark

As reported by Wrestling Observer, WWE has filed the trademark term “Vice City”, which of course draws instant comparisons to Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, originally released in 2002.

The timing of this trademark attempt is interesting, leading up to the launch of GTA VI, because we know that we’ll be returning to Vice City in the game as its main location, and many will be wondering if this will trigger a clash with WWE and Rockstar Games. That could happen, but only under very specific conditions.

Why is WWE trying to file the 'Vice City' trademark?

It’s widely believed that the trademark relates to former NXT Women’s Champion and Bellator MMA competitor, Lola Vice (real name Valerie Loureda). The Lola Vice name is, of course, inspired by GTA: Vice City, but Valerie Loureda was also born in Miami, which is the inspiration for Vice City. So those connections are as plain as day.

On this week’s episode of NXT on August 4, 2026, Lola Vice appeared to have her last match on WWE’s developmental brand, following a defeat by current champion Kendal Grey in an Underground match. In somewhat of a passing-of-the-torch moment, it’s believed that Lola Vice will be called up to the main WWE roster, expected to be on SmackDown. WWE would most likely want to claim the “Vice City” trademark to promote Lola Vice on the main roster and continue to use it going forward.

Can WWE file the “Vice City” trademark, and can Rockstar Games stop them?

Yes, and no. If Rockstar Games believed that the “Vice City” trademark would be a direct infringement on the 2002 game, and perhaps even GTA VI, there’s a chance that this trademark will be prevented. However, that may be an unlikely scenario.

The trademark, which was filed on the day of Lola Vice’s last NXT match on the USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office), would have to be strictly used for live WWE performances and recordings, promotional events, media appearances, merchandise, and so forth, related only to the professional wrestling company.

If WWE were to use the same font as GTA: Vice City for Lola Vice, that would be a very different conversation, but that’s very unlikely to happen. So, unless WWE does something very silly, it’s more than likely that this trademark will be approved.

It will be interesting to see how WWE packages Lola Vice when she makes her inevitable main roster appearance, and if she’ll have any on-screen interactions with her real-life partner Damian Priest (real name, Luis Martínez).

As for Grand Theft Auto VI, that will be released on November 19, 2026, on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.