Heat become “Vice City” vs. Bucks on Nov. 18, the night before GTA VI: court, uniform, tickets and key dates

MIAMI — Oct. 15, 2026 — The Heat will take the floor as “Vice City” for one night on Wednesday, Nov. 18, when they host the Milwaukee Bucks at Kaseya Center at 7 p.m. Eastern. The game, branded A Night in Vice City, is a partnership with Rockstar Games and lands on the eve of the Nov. 19 release of Grand Theft Auto VI, the game set in a fictional, Miami-inspired Vice City.

It is the only dated theme night on the Heat’s ticket offers page so far, and it comes with three promises from the team: a one-night-only court, a uniform the Heat have never worn, and in-arena programming that starts well before November.

What the Heat have confirmed

The court is “special hardwood built for Vice City,” and the team says it will be used for that one game only. The uniform is described as new and “completely reimagined,” and it is not the pastel Vice edition look Miami fans already know. Neither the court nor the jersey has been shown in full. The Heat are running a sign-up for a uniform drop, which points to a separate reveal closer to the date.

The club also says Vice City activities will begin on Opening Night inside Kaseya Center, with more game-night activations to be announced for Nov. 18. Updates and a guide to the night are being posted on the team’s Vice City page.

The game is on national television on ESPN and on Local 10 in South Florida. Axios Miami’s Oct. 2 report put tickets at $100 and up when the night was announced. Kaseya Center seats 19,600, and the Heat have sold out every regular-season home game since April 2010.

Giannis against Milwaukee, on a GTA night

The opponent turns a marketing stunt into one of the most interesting regular-season nights of Miami’s first month. Nov. 18 is the first Heat-Bucks game since the July 6 trade that sent Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis to Miami. Milwaukee received Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware, Kasparas Jakučionis, the No. 13 pick in the 2026 draft (Nate Ament) and future draft picks.

So Antetokounmpo’s first game against the franchise he led to the 2021 title will be played on a court built for a video game, in a uniform nobody has seen yet. Herro, Jaquez and Ware return to the building they played in for years, now in Milwaukee colors. The teams meet three more times: at Fiserv Forum on Thursday, Jan. 28 (9:30 p.m. ET), back in Miami on Thursday, Feb. 4 (7:30 p.m. ET) and in Milwaukee again on Friday, March 12 (8 p.m. ET).

How the takeover got here

Rockstar’s campaign arrived at the arena before the basketball deal was announced. On Tuesday, Sept. 22, crews installed giant pink letters spelling “Welcome to Vice City” on the Kaseya Center roof, with a helicopter lifting them into place one by one. That sign, which can be seen from planes coming into Miami International Airport, is part of a separate agreement between Miami-Dade County and Rockstar. County officials told local stations the deal would bring in nearly $1 million.

The sign was lit for the first time on Thursday, Oct. 1. The Heat and Rockstar announced the game the next day. A Vice City collection from the Heat’s Court Culture line also went on sale that day at Miami Heat Store locations and online. The 14 pieces include tees, crop tops, New Era caps and Duvin collaboration items, and prices run from $45 to $110.

Key dates

Date	What happens
Tue, Sept. 22, 2026	“Welcome to Vice City” letters installed on the Kaseya Center roof
Thu, Oct. 1, 2026	Rooftop sign lit for the first time
Fri, Oct. 2, 2026	A Night in Vice City announced; Court Culture Vice City collection goes on sale
Wed, Oct. 21, 2026	Heat home opener vs. Minnesota, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN); in-arena Vice City activities begin
Fri, Nov. 13 – Mon, Nov. 16	Home games vs. Cleveland (8 p.m.), Detroit (8 p.m.) and Houston (7:30 p.m.) lead into the night
Wed, Nov. 18, 2026	A Night in Vice City: Bucks at Heat, 7 p.m. ET, Kaseya Center (ESPN, Local 10)
Thu, Nov. 19, 2026	Grand Theft Auto VI release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S
Thu, Jan. 28, 2027	Heat at Bucks, 9:30 p.m. ET, Fiserv Forum
Thu, Feb. 4, 2027	Bucks at Heat, 7:30 p.m. ET, Kaseya Center
Fri, March 12, 2027	Heat at Bucks, 8 p.m. ET, Fiserv Forum

What is still to come

The court design, the uniform and the full list of game-night activations are still to be announced. Expect the uniform drop, any retail release of the jersey, and the Opening Night details on Oct. 21 to come next. Tip times and TV listings above have been checked against the Heat’s 2026-27 schedule. Promotions and programming are subject to change by the team.