It is rumored that the Saints Row series may be facing an uncertain future. The Saints Row franchise has had a turbulent past few years, and it appears that this may eventually take its toll on Volition’s open-world games.
When Saints Row first entered the gaming industry, it served as a competitor to Grand Theft Auto. But gamers soon discovered that the title had an unusual tone that set it apart from Rockstar’s more realistic style. As the franchise progressed, each release became increasingly offbeat, creating its niche in the realm of best open-world games, thus gathering a strong following. Although some gamers thought the games were too wacky, Volition still tried to cater to this side and accepted it with varying results.
The announcement of the potential end of the Saints Row franchise follows the unsuccessful launch of its reboot, which was met with widespread criticism concerning its outdated graphics, faulty mechanics and weak writing. The last title to be released in the series was Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell in 2015, with 2013’s Saints Row 4 causing many fans to feel that the games had begun to decline in quality. It is generally accepted that the last worthwhile title in the series was Saints Row 3 in 2011 and this latest news, while sad, comes as no surprise to some.
The financial report from Embracer Group, which owns the Saints Row IP, reveals that the reboot’s lack of success has caused them to take a different approach to greenlighting games, stating that “each project has to earn its right to exist”. This uncertain future for the series is a shame, as there needs to be a viable competitor to Grand Theft Auto, though it seems audiences have already made their choice. Even a month after its release, Grand Theft Auto 5, a ten-year-old game, outsold the reboot in Europe.
It was only a few months ago that the discussion over whether the Saints Row reboot would get DLC was very active. However, now it appears to be highly improbable. If the franchise is taken away from Volition, it’s uncertain what the studio will create next. Its most recent title not related to Saints Row, Agents of Mayhem, was met with unfavorable feedback. Even so, the company still owns the Red Faction series which has not been used since 2011. They will probably look to the past once again to try to revive their future.
Saints Row is now accessible on PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, as well as Xbox One and Series X/S.
