Rockstar Games is known for its blockbuster titles such as Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption, and L.A. Noire. But the developer also had a secret project that never saw the light of day: Agent, an open-world spy game set in the Cold War era. Agent was announced in 2007 as a PlayStation 3 exclusive, but after years of silence and delays, it was quietly removed from Rockstar’s website in 2021. What happened to Agent, and why did it never get released? Here is the story behind Rockstar Games’ cancelled spy game.
Agent was originally conceived as a test project for Angel Studios, a developer that Rockstar acquired in 2002 and renamed Rockstar San Diego. According to Polygon, Agent was a demo that impressed Rockstar enough to greenlight it as a full game, with a “full-size crew” from day one. Agent was inspired by James Bond films and Cold War conspiracy thrillers, and the player would have a variety of weapons and gadgets at their disposal, such as a briefcase that doubled as a rideable go-kart and a camera drone that could take pictures. Agent was also supposed to be a genre-defining and cutting-edge game, with a realistic and dynamic world that reacted to the player’s actions.
The Development Hell of Agent
However, Agent’s development was plagued by many problems and challenges. One of them was the research that the team had to do for the game’s setting and locations, which included Washington D.C. and Cairo, Egypt. Some of the staff were detained abroad by the authorities, causing tension and stress. Another issue was the engine that the game used, which required constant updates and changes. Rockstar San Diego had to modify the engine heavily to suit Agent’s needs, but Rockstar New York, the headquarters of the company, wanted the team to focus more on the story and the gameplay. This resulted in more crunch and pressure for the developers, who felt that Rockstar New York was constantly shifting gears and changing directions for the game. Some of the developers also left the company or passed away, which disrupted the game’s progress and vision.
The Cancellation of Agent
After years of working on Agent, Rockstar San Diego eventually shelved the game and moved on to another project: Red Dead Redemption. The engine that the team had developed for Agent was more suitable for the western-themed game, and Rockstar saw more potential in the Red Dead franchise. Agent was not completely abandoned, though. Other Rockstar studios, such as Rockstar Leeds and Rockstar North, continued to work on Agent for a while, but they also shifted their focus to Grand Theft Auto V, which was a bigger priority for the company. Agent was still listed on Rockstar’s website until 2021, when it was silently removed. The trademark for Agent was also abandoned in 2018, which indicated that Rockstar had no plans to revive the game. Agent remains one of the most mysterious and intriguing games that Rockstar ever worked on, but it seems that it will never see the light of day.
The Legacy of Agent
Even though Agent was never released, it still left a mark on the gaming industry and the fans. Agent was one of the most anticipated games of its time, and many people were curious and excited about what Rockstar could do with the spy genre. Agent also influenced other games that Rockstar made, such as Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto V, which used some of the technology and ideas that Agent had. Agent also inspired some fan-made projects, such as a mod for Grand Theft Auto V that recreated some of the leaked screenshots and concept art of Agent. Agent may be gone, but it is not forgotten.