Video games get canceled. As projects switch hands and go through the rigorous development process, developers and publishers can often impose requirements, transformations, and restrictions, which result in them never seeing the light of the day. This is what happened to Rockstar Games’ Agent.
Originally announced as a PlayStation 3 exclusive at E3 2009, Agent wanted to plunge players deep into a 1970s Cold War setting, promising a unique blend of espionage and action with a familiar feel but different vision compared to the GTA games that came before it. However, despite its initial fanfare, the game’s development journey was marred by redirection and, eventually, abandonment.
Obbe Vermeij, a former technical director at Rockstar North, revealed that Agent was initially codenamed Jimmy, an ode to the Scottish version of James, aligning with its James Bond influence. The studio envisioned it as a more linear game compared to GTA, featuring diverse locations such as a French Mediterranean city, a Swiss ski resort, Cairo, and a climax involving a space shootout with lasers. However, the development of Agent faced significant hurdles, chief of which was basically losing out to the next GTA game at the time. Originally, the plan was to split Rockstar North into two teams, with half working on GTA 4 and the other on Agent. But as GTA 4’s development demanded more attention, Agent was increasingly seen as a distraction.
From then on was a familiar tale of a video game stuck in development hell, bouncing around the company, going from a once ambitious project to a shell of its former self and, in the end, just a husk.
For years, Rockstar renewed its trademark of the property, giving fans hope that Agent could still happen. Then, in 2021, it finally pulled the website down. Thus, signaled the end of the road for the once-promising title. To make matters worse, Rockstar silenced Vermeij for taking about it.
We can only wonder what could’ve happened if Rockstar risked spreading itself thin. Even knowing how important the Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption franchises are for Rockstar, this probably wasn’t an easy decision to make. Besides, the remnants of Agent might not have entirely vanished. As is always the case with canned titles, its elements could’ve found their way into Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online. In fact, references in GTA 5, such as a license plate on an Aston Martin-inspired car and missions in GTA Online featuring elaborate gadgets and vehicles, suggest that they were repurposed assets from Agent.
Unfortunately, given that Vermeij had left Rockstar over a decade ago (and he already threatened to stop his blog), it’s unlikely that we’ll get more juicy info from him. Don’t worry though, because Rockstar will step in. The award-winning studio reveal its first official teaser for GTA 6 soon. Finally, if we go by Take-Two Interactive CEO’s words, GTA 6 will sell for $70 if not more, possibly use AI technology, and it will not be delayed by any kind of strike.
