This Cold War spy thriller, announced back in 2009 and never launched, was meant to be the PlayStation 3's take on James Bond. Fast forward over 15 years, and GTAForums user krierraa dug up proof that bits of its core ideas got slipped into Grand Theft Auto V without much notice.
The find, shared on GTAForums in May 2024, comes from the huge GTA V source code leak that hit on Christmas Eve 2023.
From what was found, the leaked code has direct mentions of Agent-linked character files connected to GTA V's scrapped "Agent Trevor" DLC. Key highlights include nods to Agent 14, the IAA agent who showed up in Grand Theft Auto Online during the Heists update in March 2015, and Karen Daniels, listed inside as "KAREND_AGT."
Karen Daniels first popped up in Grand Theft Auto IV as "Michelle," acting as Niko Bellic's girlfriend before dropping the act and admitting she's a government undercover agent. Seeing her in these Agent files hints that Rockstar aimed to tie her spy background more tightly into GTA V's story. The files also point to the Stromberg, that underwater supercar which later appeared in GTA Online's Doomsday Heist update, showing it was first planned for the main story mode.
The big clue? Files marked "Jimmy," which was Agent's internal codename during development. Ex-Rockstar technical director Obbe Vermeij backed this up earlier, explaining it's a Scottish twist on "James," like James Bond.
Agent's Original Vision and Challenges
Knowing what Agent was supposed to be makes these finds even more interesting. It got revealed at Sony's E3 2009 press conference as an exclusive big hitter for the system. Sam Houser described it as "the ultimate action game," and Take-Two Interactive said it'd redefine the genre.
Dan Houser opened up about Agent in his October 2025 chat on the Lex Fridman podcast. "We put a ton of work into several versions of an open-world spy game, but it just didn't click," he said. "It went through about five different tries... I've come to think that what works great in spy movies doesn't translate well to games." He explained it simply: spy films are fast-paced and moment-to-moment, needing constant pressure that doesn't fit with open-world exploration. Playing as a criminal fits sandbox style because nobody's bossing you around. But as a spy, that setup falls apart.
The dropped "Agent Trevor" DLC, confirmed by voice actor Steven Ogg, was Rockstar's way to reuse some of that spy-thriller stuff. It would've had Trevor going undercover as an agent, ending with a big finish in space. Dan Houser noted it was around 50% done before they ditched it to focus on Red Dead Redemption 2.
Agent's End and Lasting Echoes in GTA
For all intents, Agent is gone for good. Rockstar let the trademark lapse in November 2018 after missing USPTO paperwork. By October 2021, they'd quietly pulled the game's page from their site.
But krierraa's work shows that its assets, characters, and ideas got folded into GTA V and GTA Online, turning a full spy game into spy-themed bits spread around Los Santos.
Now that Dan Houser has left Rockstar and is talking straight about the project's core issues, Agent looks set to stay in the cancelled games hall forever. Still, for folks ready to sift through leaked code and old docs, the spy game Rockstar never finished keeps spilling its details.
Who knows? Some of that unused material could even show up in Vice City or Grand Theft Auto VI.
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