The storiedSaints Rowfranchise will live on even after the unfortunate shuttering of is development studio Volition. The 2022Saints Rowreboot released to poor reception, being criticized by many for its buggy launch, flat writing, and an unengaging Vegas-inspired open world. Despite adding new expansions and districts to its world post-launch, sentiment surrounding the reboot hasn’t really improved a year later.
As part of a restructuring plan, parent company Embracer Group has recently decided todissolveSaints Row’s developer Volition. Known mainly for its work with theRed Factionfranchise in the early 2000s, Volition began theSaints Rowseries in 2006 as a challenge to Rockstar’s massively successful and revolutionaryGrand Theft Autogames. However,Saints Row: The ThirdandSaints Row 4steered the franchise in a goofier direction with the introduction of aliens and superpowers, distancing itself from its fans who enjoyed the series' more grounded roots. Volition’s 2022Saints Rowreboot was an attempt to recapture those fans with a less outlandish story and a slightly more realistic near-future setting.
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On the day ofVolition’s heartbreaking closure announcement, publisher Deep Silver took to Twitter to solemnly thank the developers at Volition who are unfortunately being let go. In the tweet, Deep Silver brought up the studio’s past work on the belovedRed FactionandSaints Rowfranchises and added that both of them will “live on at Plaion,” the parent company of Deep Silver.
It makes perfect sense that the IPs of a shuttered studio would remain with the parent company. Though, the question remains which studio at Plaion is most suitable to becomeSaints Row’s new lead developer. Flying Wild Hog has just come off an incredibly busy 2022 shipping four games inShadow Warrior 3, Evil West, Trek to Yomi,andSpace Punks. It’s a studio which primarily specializes in its first-personShadow Warriorseries, but its recent work onEvil Westindicates a proficiency with third-person shooter gameplay, whichSaints Rowrequires. Within Deep Silver exists Dambuster Studios, which has just released itssuccessful and long awaitedDead Island 2earlier this year. Fishlabs could be another candidate within Deep Silver, as it’s assisted on pastSaints Rowtitles and isn’t tied to a highly demanded franchise of its own.
With all that said, Embracer Group’s restructuring and Plaion’s dissolution of Deep Silver is ongoing and may very well result in more potential studio closures. While it’s good to hearRed FactionandSaints Rowcould still live on, the fate of both franchises is still very much up in the air. IfSaints Rowdoes continue with another installment it’ll be interesting to see if it’ll pick up after the 2022 reboot or if fans will see the return offranchise icon Johnny Gat and company. Whichever the case, it’ll surely be a while before anything concrete is confirmed.
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