What Exactly Happened?
Stockman shared his thoughts on a Discord server for his new company, Bit Planet Games. A screenshot of his comment, responding to someone lamenting the series’ silence, quickly spread on X (formerly Twitter). He wrote, bluntly, “I think the franchise is dead.” He followed up by saying he feels Embracer has “zero ability to do anything with it” and that they’ve “ghosted” him after he pitched a way to bring the series back to its roots. This pitch reportedly came after the 2022 reboot of Saints Row, which… didn’t land particularly well with fans or critics.
The 2022 Reboot: A Quick Recap
The 2022 Saints Row was a full reboot, meaning it wasn’t a direct sequel to the previous games. It attempted a more modern, social media-focused take on the formula, with a new cast of characters forming their own criminal enterprise in Santo Ileso (a fictional city inspired by the American Southwest). While it kept the open-world action, it moved away from the over-the-top, self-aware humor of Saints Row: The Third and Saints Row IV, which many fans missed. It wasn’t a *bad* game, per se, but it didn’t capture the magic of its predecessors and sales were underwhelming.
What About Volition?
Things went from bad to worse for the Saints Row franchise in 2023. Volition, the studio that had developed every Saints Row game since the original, was shut down by Embracer Group as part of a major restructuring. Embracer cited the poor performance of the 2022 reboot as a key factor in the decision. Losing the team behind the series is a huge blow, and makes any future revival even more unlikely.
Saints Row Lore: Mayhem and Customization
To understand why fans are so passionate about Saints Row, you need to know a little about what made it special. The series started as a more grounded crime game, a bit like a rival to Grand Theft Auto. But with each installment, it leaned *hard* into the ridiculous. By Saints Row: The Third, you were customizing everything from your character’s appearance to your weapons (including a weaponized saxophone!), completing increasingly outlandish missions, and generally causing as much chaos as possible. A key element was the Homies system – you recruited characters to join your crew, each with unique abilities that helped you in missions. Later games introduced even more outlandish elements, like superpowers in Saints Row IV, where you became the President of the United States and fought off an alien invasion. The Genki Bowl, a mini-game from Saints Row IV involving bizarre Japanese game shows, is a perfect example of the series’ willingness to embrace the absurd.
Why is it so hard to revive these kinds of games?
The open-world crime genre has changed a lot since Saints Row was at its peak. Back in the mid-2000s and early 2010s, games like Saints Row, Grand Theft Auto, Crackdown, and Prototype were all vying for dominance. But the market has evolved. Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto games have raised the bar for detail and scope, and the novelty of simply having a big open world isn’t enough anymore. Many similar games – Prototype, Crackdown, Sleeping Dogs, Sunset Overdrive – have faded away. It’s hard to imagine what a new Saints Row would need to do to stand out and feel fresh. Stockman himself acknowledges this, saying the series needs to feel “fresh” to succeed.
Is There *Any* Hope?
Stockman hasn’t completely given up. He says Embracer still owns the rights, and could potentially license the franchise to him or another developer. But he’s done all he can on his end. For now, it seems the fate of Saints Row rests entirely with Embracer Group. If you’re a fan of the older games, they’re still available to play, and they remain a lot of fun. But don’t hold your breath for a new installment anytime soon.
Genki Bowl: A hilariously over-the-top mini-game from Saints Row IV, showcasing the series’ penchant for absurd humor and breaking the fourth wall.
