Summary
- A former Rockstar Games developer revealed plans for an open-world zombie game set on an eerie island off the coast of Scotland, but the idea was scrapped because it was deemed too depressing by the company.
- Rockstar's other canceled game, Agent, had a more linear approach than their typical open-world titles and was set in the Cold War with a James Bond-like spy protagonist. The project was canceled due to the extensive development needs of Grand Theft Auto 5.
- Despite recent confirmations of GTA 6's upcoming trailer, no new information has been officially revealed about the highly anticipated sequel.
A former Rockstar Games developer detailed the company’s previous plans to make an open-world zombie survival game. The project was an interesting concept that could have made for an exciting Rockstar game.
Obbe Vermeij, a former technical director at the company, has taken to the internet recently to detail his experiences working for Rockstar North. Vermeij worked for the company from 1995 to 2009, and experienced its massive growth as the Grand Theft Auto franchise became a household name. However, Rockstar recently requested Vermeij to delete his blog posts, since some of them reveal the inner workings of the company.
One of the tidbits that Vermeij revealed was that Rockstar considered making an open-world zombie game set on an eerie island off the coast of Scotland. In a blog that has since been deleted, he explained that this took place following the release of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City in 2002. Rockstar North was considering using that game's code as a foundation for this new project, which would see players using vehicles to traverse the island as they scavenge for resources while fending off the undead horde. However, the idea was killed off after a month because almost everyone at the company thought the game would be too depressing. This may sound somewhat familiar to fans of Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption, which featured a zombie-themed expansion following the game's release in 2010.
Rockstar's Scotland-based zombie game required players to constantly be on the move, with fuel being the most important resource. It's unclear what details made the game especially depressing, as the base idea does not sound much different from successful zombie games that have since been released. However, it's important to remember that this was over twenty years ago in a different games landscape than today. This news comes along other Rockstar revelations revealed by Vermeij, such as the fan-favorite mystery of Rockstar's canceled Agent game.
Vermeij revealed that Agent had a more linear approach than Rockstar's typically open-world titles. Officially announced in 2009 before being canceled, Agent was apparently set in the Cold War and followed a James Bond-like spy across the globe. However, the game's development did not progress as quickly as expected, and Grand Theft Auto 5's massive development needs necessitated the cancelation of the project. Vermeij explained that GTA 5 required the entire company's efforts. Rockstar fans will be excited to know that GTA 6's development is even more massive.
Since Vermeij left the company in 2009, Rockstar fans learned nothing new about their most sought-after enigma: the approaching release of GTA 6. But following plenty of leaks and rumors, Rockstar recently confirmed that GTA 6's first trailer is releasing soon. With GTA 5 becoming one of the most successful games in history, its sequel is expected to only continue Rockstar's industry-leading consistency.
