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Dan Houser Says Open-World Spy Concept Doomed Rockstar’s Agent

The GTA writer outlines a design clash that he says kept the long-teased project from ever finding its footing.

Overview

  • Houser said in a new interview that Agent went through about five iterations but never cohered into a workable game.
  • He argued the urgency and beat-to-beat pacing of spy thrillers conflicts with the looser player freedom central to open worlds.
  • Agent was announced in 2009 as a PlayStation 3 exclusive set in the 1970s Cold War, which Houser described as only one of several versions, including a modern-day take.
  • Former Rockstar North technical director Obbe Vermeij has previously said the project was dropped in favor of the next Grand Theft Auto, offering a differing emphasis on its fate.
  • Agent remains unreleased, and Houser’s comments come years after he left Rockstar in 2020 and later founded Absurd Ventures in 2024.