“They’ve Ghosted Me” Saints Row Creator Pitched a Prequel to Embracer Group, But It Doesn’t Look Like It’s Happening

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The creator of the first Saints Row game proposed a new game set in the 1970s to Embracer Group, but it doesn’t seem like the project will move forward. The Saints Row series has had some difficulties, including the closure of the original studio and a poorly received reboot, and it appears the franchise may be ending without a strong finale.

The first Saints Row game, initially launched in 2006 for the Xbox 360, was heavily inspired by the Grand Theft Auto series, especially Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Players controlled a mostly silent character who could steal cars, evade the police, and participate in gang battles, aiming to conquer the city of Stilwater territory by territory for the 3rd Street Saints. The following three sequels continued this formula, becoming increasingly over-the-top, until the fourth game featured the complete destruction of Earth. Most of that game then takes place within a Matrixlike simulation aboard an alien spaceship. The 2015 game, Gat Out of Hell*, continued the series’ bizarre streak and served as the final installment, following popular characters Johnny Gat and Kinzie Kensington as they attempt to rescue the protagonist from Hell after Satan decides his daughter will marry him.

Saints Row May Really be Dead After Prequel Pitch Gets Ignored

Man, I was really excited when I heard Chris Stockman, one of the original designers of Saints Row, was pitching a new game after that rough reboot in 2022. Everyone hated how simplified the gameplay was and how they replaced the awesome characters we loved. He posted on Reddit that Embracer Group asked for his ideas, and I thought things were looking up! But now he’s saying they’ve completely ignored his pitch – it was set in the ’70s, which sounded amazing – and he thinks the Saints Row franchise is basically finished. He said they’ve just stopped responding to him, and he did everything he could to try and save it. It’s a real bummer.

If industry analyst Stockman is right, Volition’s closure might mean there won’t be another Saints Row game. After the 2022 reboot received poor reviews and disappointed fans – a reboot Stockman himself disliked – the game’s developer, Volition, was shut down by its parent company, Embracer Group, in late August 2023, as part of a larger company reorganization.

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A Saints Row game set in the 1970s could have been a great story opportunity. The first game established that the Saints were founded by Julius Little, voiced by Keith David, and his plan to help Stilwater is a key part of the series’ history. A major rival gang in that first game, the Vice Kings, was led by Benjamin King, voiced by the late Michael Clark Duncan. The story of Julius and Ben – how they went from childhood friends to bitter enemies – was one of the most interesting parts of the series. The game’s creator previously mentioned wanting to build a whole game around this backstory, featuring younger versions of the characters we already know.

Image via THQ

Okay, so it doesn’t look like a new Saints Row game is happening right now, which is a bummer. But, the rights to Saints Row (and Red Faction too!) moved over to Plaion, which is another company owned by Embracer. The cool thing is, Plaion is a pretty big deal – they have ten different development studios and five publishers working for them. They’ve got some awesome teams, like Warhorse Studios, who are making Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 – that game looks incredible! And Flying Wild Hog, the folks behind Evil West, Shadow Warrior, and Trek to Yomi, are also part of Plaion. So, while nothing’s confirmed, there’s still a chance we might see the Saints back in action someday, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed!

Sources: Video Games Chronicle, PCGamesN

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2026-02-22 01:04