Keep in mind Agent? After first mentioning it in 2007, Rockstar formally introduced it in 2009—an espionage sport in an open world, GTA meets James Bond, with all of the cars-turning-into-submarines gadgetry that means. After bouncing between completely different Rockstar studios for some time, Agent vanished off the radar, with its dying lastly being confirmed in 2021.
In a uncommon interview, Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser appeared on the Lex Fridman podcast lately to debate all issues GTA and Pink Useless Redemption, although Agent additionally got here up. “It had about 5 completely different iterations,” Houser defined. “I do not suppose it really works, I concluded. I preserve enthusiastic about it generally, I generally lie in mattress enthusiastic about it and I’ve concluded what makes them actually good as movie tales makes them not work as videogames—or I have to suppose by way of learn how to do it a special method as a videogame.”
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When you concentrate on spy films, from The Ipcress File to the newest Mission Unimaginable, whereas they might contain automotive chases and shootouts they’re all about brokers with a extra singular mission than GTA’s free-roaming free cannons. “These movies, they’re very very frenetic they usually’re beat to beat to beat,” Houser mentioned. “You have to go right here and save the world, you have to go there and cease that particular person being killed after which save the world. And an open world sport does have moments like that, when the story comes collectively, however for giant parts it is rather a lot looser and also you’re simply hanging out, and also you’re simply doing what you need.”
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Which is why, he suggests, Agent by no means got here collectively. The open world method Rockstar had created, whereas well-suited to the lifetime of a gangster or a cowboy, could not simulate being a spy in the identical method. “That is why it really works effectively being a legal,” Houser mentioned. “Since you basically do not have anybody telling you what to do. And we try to create exterior company by way of these individuals forcing you into the story at occasions, however as a spy, that does not actually work as a result of it’s important to be towards the clock. For me, I query in case you may even make a great open world spy sport.”
The missions within the GTA London video games the place you faux to be the Austin Powers-esque Endeavour Chambers could be the closest we ever get to a Rockstar open world spy sport. In the meantime, IO Interactive’s 007 First Gentle looks as if it could be extra mission-based, as you’d anticipate from the Hitman studio. It is due out on March 27, 2026.
