Rumors are suggesting that the future of the Saints Row franchise is in jeopardy. The Saints Row franchise has had a rocky few years, and it seems that may finally have caught up to Volition's open-world games.
The Saints Row franchise initially emerged as a competitor to Grand Theft Auto, although it quickly became apparent to players that Saints Row's zany tone was wildly different from Rockstar's more serious offering. With every subsequent release, Saints Row turned 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 the best 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.
The news that Saints Row may be put to rest comes after the Saints Row reboot 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 was Saints Row: Gat out of Hell in 2015. Again, this was not well received by critics. Before this was 2013's Saints 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's Saints Row 3, which is why some may not be surprised by this recent news.
It would appear that the troubles of the Saints Row reboot 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 of Saints Row. It would be a shame to see the series disappear, as Grand Theft Auto needs a viable competitor - though it seems that audiences have made their choice. Even one month after release, the Saints Row reboot was outsold by a decade-old Grand Theft Auto 5.
It was only a few months ago that the debate raged on about whether the Saints Row reboot 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 Row effort, Agents of Mayhem, was critically panned across the board. However, the company does still have the Red Faction series which has laid dormant since 2011. It's very possible it looks to the past once again to try and revive its future.
Saints Row is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: PlayStation Lifestyle
