Is Saints Row Dead? Original Director Shares Grim Future
After two decades of high-octane gang warfare and dildo-bat-wielding chaos, Saints Row 1 Design Director Chris Stockman has told fans that the Boss has likely walked their last mile and that the franchise could be “dead” after IP holder Embracer Group “ghosted” him after he pitched an idea for a prequel.
The video game industry is no stranger to reboots, but the 2022 revival of Saints Row was supposed to be a grand resurrection. Instead, it became a tombstone.
Following the lukewarm reception of the latest title and the subsequent, heartbreaking dissolution of Volition by parent company Embracer Group, the dust is finally settling on the ruins of Santo Ileso.
In response to a fan on Discord, Chris Stockman, the Design Director on the original 2006 Saints Row, declared the franchise “dead” despite his best attempt to “offer a path forward” for a prequel.
The End of an Era: Why the Franchise is “Dead”?
The industry recently felt a chill when Stockman, a former Design Director at Volition, shared his grim outlook on the series. Following the shuttering of the studio, the architect of many Saint-led adventures admitted the brand likely has no pulse left.
The 2022 reboot was supposed to be a fresh start, a way to modernize the “gangster” fantasy for a new generation. Instead, the project faced a brutal reception that eventually led to Embracer Group pulling the plug on the legendary studio.
Without the original soul of Volition to steer the ship, many fear that any future iteration would just be a nameplate on a different engine. Unfortunately, it appears Embracer may also share that thought.
Remember when we got excited about the prospect of a Saints Row prequel? Well according to Saints Row 1 Design Director Chris Stockman, Embracer is completely ignoring the idea. Saints Row is once again dead. https://t.co/cpPVcRjxwD pic.twitter.com/FWpjC6kmkT
— rpg! (@papaRPG) February 20, 2026
Gameplay Legacy: What Went Wrong in Santo Ileso?
The shift from the gritty, purple-clad streets of Steelport to the dusty vistas of Santo Ileso was jarring for many. Fans missed the specific chaotic energy that made the original hits stand out against competitors like GTA V.
While the reboot introduced refined customization and a massive desert map, it lacked the “bite” of its predecessors. The “New Saints” felt more like a startup tech company than a feared criminal empire, creating a disconnect that many players couldn’t bridge.
The mechanics were functional, but the heart was missing. The technical bugs at launch only added fuel to the fire, making the Premium retail price a hard pill to swallow for the loyalists who had been there since the beginning.
Is it Worth Visiting the Saints One Last Time?
Saints Row might be effectively “dead” as a moving franchise, but its history is still playable. Whether you loved the wacky superhero antics of the fourth entry or the grounded gang wars of the second, the legacy remains intact.
For those who skipped the reboot, now is the time to see it for yourself. It serves as the final chapter of Volition’s history, a flawed but ambitious farewell to a brand that once defined the open-world genre.
Fueled by a passion for gaming and the ever-evolving world of gaming news, Daniel loves connecting with seasoned and new players to bring games to life on the page, exploring their narratives and gaming trends. A self-published fiction and fantasy author, Daniel has nearly 20 years of experience writing gaming news and a love for storytelling that drives his enthusiasm to deliver breaking news, in-depth analysis, and industry innovations. You will find him in-game as "Windfell."
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