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| Artwork showing a rendition of GTA IV's Nico Bellic with a sniper rifle |
In a candid new interview, a key architect of the Grand Theft Auto series argues that scrapping spin-offs was the right call to protect the studio’s golden goose.
For years, rumors of canceled Rockstar projects have tantalized fans. What if there had been a Bully 2? A zombie survival game? A globe-trotting spy thriller? According to Obbe Vermeij, the former Technical Director at Rockstar North who helped build the 3D and early HD eras of GTA, the answer is simple: be glad they never happened.
In a revealing new conversation, Vermeij dismissed the notion that shelved games like Agent or the internally dubbed Project Z were missed opportunities. Instead, he views them as necessary cancellations—distractions that would have diverted vital resources from the franchise that defines the company: Grand Theft Auto.
The Bleak Zombie Game That Didn’t Fit
One of the more intriguing reveals is confirmation of Project Z, a zombie-survival title in early development. Built on the bones of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, it aimed to craft a desolate, isolated experience set on a Scottish island.
“The game reused code and assets from San Andreas and was intended to create a bleak, isolated world,” Vermeij recounted. But that tone was ultimately its downfall. The atmosphere was deemed “a bit too depressing for Rockstar’s taste and DNA,” leading to the project’s cancellation.
Why the Spy Thriller ‘Agent’ Lost Its Steam
Another high-profile casualty was Agent, a more linear, James Bond-esque adventure teased with glamorous locations like Southern France and Morocco. Initially exciting, the project struggled after moving away from the open-world freedom that made Rockstar famous.
“The project slowly lost steam after ditching the open-world freedom that defined GTA,” Vermeij explained. Without that core DNA, it failed to capture the team’s passion or convince leadership it could stand alongside their flagship series.
You can read the full, in-depth interview with Vermeij over at GamesHub.
“A Waste of Time and a Distraction”
For Vermeij, the calculus is brutally pragmatic. In an industry where a single project can consume half a decade, focus is everything.
“In retrospect, I don’t think there’s a missed opportunity at all, either with that zombie game or with other experiments like Agent,” he told GamesHub. “They wouldn’t have been as good as GTA. They would have been a waste of time and a distraction.”
His philosophy for Rockstar is clear: when you have a record-breaking franchise, you pour everything into it. “After the franchise exploded, it just doesn’t make sense to do any wild changes,” he stated. “Whatever weird ideas you have, we really should put them into GTA rather than just launching an entirely new game.”
This mindset explains why Rockstar has historically channeled smaller, unconventional concepts into spin-offs like Chinatown Wars or the GTA IV expansions, rather than entirely new IP.
A Nod to Risk-Takers Like Larian Studios
While firmly defending Rockstar’s conservative strategy, Vermeij did express admiration for studios that take the opposite path. He specifically praised Larian Studios, who followed the monumental success of Baldur’s Gate 3 by announcing a new project, Divinity, instead of immediately rushing a sequel.
“It’s quite cool to see… They’ve said, ‘We don’t feel like Baldur’s Gate 4. We’re just gonna do another game.’ Good for them. But it’s a bold move. It’s not obvious. It’s very risky. It’s easier to keep on doing what you’re doing.”
For fans still holding out hope for a return to Bullworth Academy or a new Midnight Club, Vermeij’s comments are a sobering dose of reality. Rockstar’s playbook is one of overwhelming, singular focus. And as long as Grand Theft Auto continues to break entertainment records, that strategy is unlikely to change.
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