After the controversialSaints Rowreboot failed to excite the fanbase, Volition is shutting down. The Embracer Group is currently in the midst of restructuring to better cement itself within the gaming industry, with Volition being one of those casualties. This closure not only marks the end of an era but also puts the future of franchises likeSaints Rowin doubt.
TheSaints Rowserieshas had its fair share of ups and downs over the years. It was once one ofGrand Theft Auto’s primary competitors, but things quickly went off the rails onceSaints Row: The Thirdwas released.After that, it was a constant debate whether the new Zany approach was the right one or ifSaints Rowshould have remained more serious to compete withGTA. Due in part to that, Volition wanted to bring things back to the basics with the reboot, yet various decisions within the new game were scrutinized, especially with its countless technical difficulties. And while many have been curious about its future since release, Volition shutting down was not really on anyone’s bingo cards.Saints Rowdeserves a future in the industry, though things are more uncertain than ever before now.
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The Saints Row Series is Facing an Uncertain Future
TheSaints Rowseries was first created by Volition way back in 2006, as the studio wanted to give players a sandbox filled with exciting content for them to play with. The first game mostly delivered on that premise and would go on to be a major hit that was oftencompared toGrand Theft Auto. It would kick off a massive franchise of games that seemed to be unstoppable. However, things quickly changed as Volition started trying to reinvent the entire concept.
Saints Row: The Thirdwould serve as a massive departure from the toneand style of the original two games, as it would go for a wackier cartoonish feeling rather than the more grounded nature of its predecessors. This would end up paying off extremely well for the studio as the game would quickly become a massive commercial success. While some players would have liked the franchise to return to the tone ofSaints Row 2, the franchise took this concept further instead.
AfterSaints Row 4involved an alien invasion,Saints Row: Gat out of Hellbrought the franchise to hell itself. This made the franchise virtually unrecognizable from the first two games, but Volition was hoping to bring it back to basics with a reboot. However, fans instantly seemed to hate the entire idea of the reboot. Many players wanted to hang out with the likes of Pierce and Shaundi instead of this new cast of characters, while those who did enjoy the zanier take didn’t really get that itch scratched either. Upon release, the game suffered from numerous technical difficulties that made it almost unplayable for many, which led to a very disappointing game that failed both critically and commercially. It was the perfect storm of mistakes, shortcomings, and disconnections, but it wasSaints Rowand many look forward, instead, to what Volition would do next.
While theSaints Rowseries may have been popular once, Volition was unable to reinvent it for modern consoles, resulting in the closure of the studio as part of the Embracer Group’s restructuring plans. Not much is known about the fate of theSaints RowIP in all of this, nor have there been any announcements about future adventures in the reboot timeline afterSaints Row’s DLC roadmap ends. There is a strong chance that the franchise is put on hiatus for the time being until the Embracer Group figures out what to do with it, which would be in line with the rumors that have been circulating for a while.
Whoever gets the chance to craft a newSaints Rowexperience will have a lot to prove. The studio not only has to show fans that it is capable of replicating Volition’s style, but it also must make them care about the IP again. This nextSaints Rowgame must come out of the gate swinging by delivering fans a massive hilarious sandbox to explore, and if nothing else, the Saints deserve another shot.
Saints Rowis available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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