Rockstar's Agent was compromised because open worlds and spies don't mesh well, Ex-GTA writer Dan Houser says

Rockstar's Agent Was Compromised by Genre Clash, Says Ex-GTA Writer Dan Houser

Dan Houser, former GTA writer and Rockstar co-founder, believes that an open-world spy game does not blend well conceptually. The cancelled Rockstar project Agent was ultimately shelved because the studio struggled to merge the espionage narrative with their signature open-world design.

Background on Agent

Agent was announced by Rockstar at E3 2009 as a PlayStation 3 exclusive, aiming to deliver a Bond-style spy experience. However, the game was quietly cancelled before release, never reaching PC or other platforms.

Development Challenges

In an extensive interview with Lex Fridman, Houser explained that Agent underwent "about five different iterations," initially set during the Cold War in the 1970s and later shifting to a more contemporary setting. Despite exploring multiple directions, the project was hindered by conflicting design philosophies.

"I don’t think it works. I keep thinking about it sometimes, I sometimes lie in bed thinking about it, and I’ve concluded that what makes [spy stories] really good as film stories makes them not work as video games." — Dan Houser

Aftermath and Related Projects

Though Agent never launched, Rockstar later considered a secret agent-focused DLC for GTA 5 but eventually abandoned that concept in favor of a Western-themed expansion.

Summary

Dan Houser concluded that the storytelling style of spy films clashes with Rockstar’s open-world game design, which contributed to the cancellation of Agent despite multiple attempts to find a workable approach.

Author's summary: Rockstar’s attempt at an open-world spy game failed because the cinematic spy narrative conflicts with open sandbox gameplay, says ex-GTA writer Dan Houser.

more

Rock Paper Shotgun Rock Paper Shotgun — 2025-11-04

More News