Almost everyone was excited when Volition was revived under new ownership, along with the absurd open-world franchise Saints Row. At the time, anticipation was high to see what the rebooted series had to offer. Unfortunately, its subsequent failure came with dire consequences. Not only was Volition shuttered once more, but the franchise itself has since been in limbo. We have since gotten more context from Saber Interactive CEO Matthew Karch.
“The Saints Row team is gone. They were so expensive for what they were,” Karch said in an interview with GameFile. “They didn’t know what they were building. They didn’t have any real direction. It couldn’t last. And so, who’s going to fund them for the next game after that disaster?”
Karch further explained that for such a game that requires “nine-figure budgets” but is not bringing higher profits, the future is not sustainable and is “dooming a lot of developers”.
While the previous iterations of the franchise had a more defined identity, the most recent reboot didn’t live up to the expectations of fans or the wider gaming community.
That makes perfect sense, as the gaming industry is still a business after all, and not everyone is going to have the level of success like the Grand Theft Auto franchise, even if there are similar elements like in Saints Row.
The added context provided by Karch is certainly helpful, as both Saber and Volition were once under the umbrella of the Embracer Group. While Volition was eventually closed in 2023, Saber Interactive regained its freedom during the divestiture of Embracer’s businesses in the same year, with Karch’s Beacon Interactive responsible for the buyout.
Another Embracer subsidiary, Plaion, now owns the Saints Row franchise. Another Volition classic, the Red Faction series, is also under the same company, but there have been no plans shared for either franchise.
