Rumors are suggesting that the future of theSaints Rowfranchise is in jeopardy. TheSaints Rowfranchise has had a rocky few years, and it seems that may finally have caught up to Volition’s open-world games.
TheSaints Rowfranchise initially emerged as a competitor toGrand Theft Auto, although it quickly became apparent to players thatSaints Row’s zany tone was wildly different from Rockstar’s more serious offering. With every subsequent release,Saints Rowturned up the crazy, with each game moving further and further away from reality. However, this did allow the series to carve out its niche among thebest open-world games, building up a dedicated fan base. There was a section of the community that felt the games had gone too far with their craziness, although Volition did its best to embrace this in the newer entries, to varying degrees of success.
MORE:Saints Row Developer Volition Becomes a Gearbox Software Studio
The news thatSaints Rowmay be put to rest comes after theSaints Rowreboot flopped both commercially and critically. Fans criticized the dated graphics, poor mechanics, and even worse writing as particular flaws that led to it being an unpleasant experience for players. Before the reboot, the last game in the series wasSaints Row: Gat out of Hellin 2015. Again, this was not well received by critics. Before this was 2013’sSaints Row 4, which for some fans is seen as the point the games jumped the shark. Many players out there would make the argument that the franchise has not seen a good game since 2011’sSaints Row 3, which is why some may not be surprised by this recent news.
It would appear that the troubles of theSaints Rowreboot have changed how IP owner Embracer Group is greenlighting games going forward. In their Q3 2022 financial report released a couple of days ago, the company revealed that the underwhelming performance of console and PC titles has meant a change in approach, and “each project has to earn its right to exist,” leaving huge question marks over the future ofSaints Row. It would be a shame to see the series disappear, asGrand Theft Autoneeds a viable competitor - though it seems that audiences have made their choice. Even one month after release, theSaints Rowreboot was outsold by a decade-oldGrand Theft Auto 5.
It was only a few months ago that the debate raged on about whethertheSaints Rowreboot would receive DLC. In light of these new developments, this now seems extremely unlikely. If the franchise is taken away from Volition, it’s unknown what the studio will develop next. Its last non-Saints Roweffort,Agents of Mayhem, was critically panned across the board. However, the company does still have theRed Factionseries which has laid dormant since 2011. It’s very possible it looks to the past once again to try and revive its future.
Saints Rowis available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
