Rockstar yanks action game from digital distribution hub due to licensing issues reportedly related to Michael Jackson's "Wanna be Startin' Somethin.'"

Gamers may have noticed Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is no longer available on Steam. This was no mistake, as a supposed Rockstar Games representative said in the official Steam forums that the game was pulled due to a music licensing issue. The company said it is working to get the game back online as soon as possible, though no specific timetable was provided.

The game's disappearance from Steam was first noticed by The Sixth Axis, though Cinemablend now has more information. That site reports that GTA: Vice City was yanked from Steam due to a claim from Sony Music Entertainment regarding Michael Jackson's "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" song, which appears in the game's Fever 105 radio station.

A Rockstar Games representative told GameSpot, "Due to some music licensing issues, we've had to temporarily remove Vice City PC from digital stores. We'll make it available again as soon as possible."

This news comes during Rockstar Games' celebration of GTA: Vice City's tenth anniversary. Late last month, the company announced that it would release iOS and Android versions of the 2002 game to mark the occasion.

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