{"id":1784490,"date":"2026-02-21T14:12:21","date_gmt":"2026-02-21T11:12:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1784490"},"modified":"2026-02-21T14:12:21","modified_gmt":"2026-02-21T11:12:21","slug":"i-think-the-franchise-is-dead-says-saints-row-design-director","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1784490","title":{"rendered":"&#8220;I think the franchise is dead,&#8221; says Saints Row design director"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"article \" data-ads=\"true\" data-article-type=\"news\" data-article-group=\"news\" data-paywalled=\"false\" data-premium=\"false\" data-sponsored=\"false\" data-type=\"article\">\n<header class=\"article_header\" data-component=\"article-header\">\n<div class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n<nav class=\"nav_breadcrumbs\" data-component=\"nav-breadcrumbs\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\">\n<ul class=\"nav-links\">\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      Home<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/news\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      News<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/games\/saints-row-2022\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      Saints Row (2022)<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/nav><\/div>\n<div class=\"headline_details\" id=\"main-content\">\n<h1 class=\"title\">&#8220;I think the franchise is dead,&#8221; says Saints Row design director<\/h1>\n<p class=\"strapline\">Saints woe.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"headline_asset\">\n<figure class=\"headline_image_wrapper\">\n<p>        <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"headline_image\" src=\"https:\/\/assetsio.gnwcdn.com\/Saints-Row-image-showing-four-characters-leaning-against-a-wall-covered-in-graffiti.jpg?width=570&amp;quality=85&amp;format=jpg&amp;dpr=3&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Saints Row image showing four characters leaning against a wall covered in graffiti\" loading=\"eager\" data-uri=\"Saints-Row-image-showing-four-characters-leaning-against-a-wall-covered-in-graffiti.jpg\" data-lightbox width=\"570\" height=\"320\"><figcaption>\n          <span class=\"attribution\">Image credit: <cite>Volition<\/cite><\/span><br \/>\n        <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metadata\">\n<div class=\"avatar\">\n<p>    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Vikki Blake avatar\" src=\"https:\/\/assetsio.gnwcdn.com\/1533038852.jpg?width=2048&amp;height=2048&amp;fit=bounds&amp;quality=85&amp;format=jpg&amp;auto=webp\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1\" width=\"180\" height=\"179\"><\/p>\n<p>  <img alt=\"Vikki Blake avatar\" data-autosize=\"crop_lossy\" data-uri=\"1533038852.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1\" width=\"180\" height=\"179\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"byline\">\n                  <span class=\"article_type\" data-slug=\"news\"><br \/>\n                    News<br \/>\n                  <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"by\">by<\/span> <span class=\"author\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/authors\/vikki-blake\">Vikki Blake<\/a><\/span>                    <span class=\"job_title\"><br \/>\n                      Contributor<br \/>\n                    <\/span>\n            <\/div>\n<div class=\"published_at\">\nPublished on <time datetime=\"2026-02-21T14:12:21+00:00\">Feb. 21, 2026<\/time>              <\/div>\n<div class=\"comments\">\n      <a class=\"comments__link comments-bubble\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/i-think-the-franchise-is-dead-says-saints-row-design-director?view=comments\" rel=\"nofollow\"><br \/>\n          3 comments<br \/>\n      <\/a>\n    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"mypop-header-wrapper\">\n<p><button class=\"mypop-button button wide\" data-state=\"follow\" data-type=\"tag\" data-uuid=\"ffaf0420-bca3-4322-9766-1af7e1c98c1b\" data-name=\"Saints Row (2022)\" data-follow-text=\"Follow Saints Row (2022)\" data-unfollow-text=\"Following Saints Row (2022)\" data-aria-follow-text=\"Follow Saints Row (2022)\" data-aria-unfollow-text=\"Following Saints Row (2022)\" data-popup=\"true\" data-force-login=\"true\" aria-label=\"Follow Saints Row (2022)\" title=\"Follow Saints Row (2022)\"><br \/>\n  Follow Saints Row (2022)<br \/>\n<\/button>          <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article_body\" data-component=\"article-content\">\n<div class=\"article_body_content article-styling\">\n<p>Original Saints Row design director Chris Stockman has declared the Saints Row franchise is &#8220;dead&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>Last November, Stockman revealed he wanted to revive the open-world crime series following the poorly received 2022 reboot \u2013 developed after he had left Volition \u2013 and claimed that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/original-saints-row-designer-says-unloved-2022-reboot-missed-the-mark-but-the-big-news-is-embracer-wants-him-to-pitch-a-revival\">publisher Embracer Group had reached out to hear more<\/a> about his ideas.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<div class=\"video_wrapper youtube\">\n<a aria-label=\"Let's Play Saints Row (2022) PS5 Co-op Gameplay- GOIN' LOCO IN SANTO ILESO!\" class=\"video-facade full-size\" data-platform=\"youtube\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/deRqU2DwLtk?autoplay=1\" title=\"Click to play video from YouTube\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Cover image for YouTube video\" class=\"video-facade__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/deRqU2DwLtk\/hqdefault.jpg\"><span class=\"video-facade__title\">Let&#8217;s Play Saints Row (2022) PS5 Co-op Gameplay- GOIN&#8217; LOCO IN SANTO ILESO!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div><figcaption>Ian and Zoe are giving Saints Row a play with some launch day co-op &#8211; here&#8217;s a stream!<a class=\"video\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=deRqU2DwLtk\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Watch on YouTube<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Fast forward a few months, however, and Stockman is now less confident, responding to a fan on Discord that IP holder Embracer has &#8220;ghosted him&#8221; and &#8220;has zero ability to do anything with [the franchise]&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;[H]onestly, I think the franchise is dead, unfortunately,&#8221; Stockman said in reply to a commenter who&#8217;d shared their dismay that the last canon game was released &#8220;a decade ago&#8221;.<\/p>\n<div class=\"twitter_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed_wrapper\" data-domain=\"twitter.com\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">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.<\/p>\n<p>Saints Row is once again dead. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/cpPVcRjxwD\">https:\/\/t.co\/cpPVcRjxwD<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/FWpjC6kmkT\">pic.twitter.com\/FWpjC6kmkT<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 rpg! (@papaRPG) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/papaRPG\/status\/2024941290492694703?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 20, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"embed_placeholder\" data-type=\"targeting\"><br \/>\n<span class=\"message\">To see this content please enable targeting cookies.<\/span><br \/>\n<button class=\"optanon-show-settings link\"><br \/>\nManage cookie settings<\/button><\/span>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#8220;I get the sense that Embracer has zero ability to do anything with it,&#8221; he added. &#8220;I wish things were different. I tried my best to offer a path forward, but they&#8217;ve ghosted me.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Stockman&#8217;s comments come <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/saints-row-reboot-developer-didnt-know-what-they-were-building-saber-ceo-says-criticising-shuttered-team\">after the CEO of Saber Interactive had some pretty damning words to say about the reboot<\/a> and its developer, Volition, after it was shuttered in 2023 as part of then-parent company Embracer Group&#8217;s previously announced &#8220;restructuring&#8221; programme.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;They didn&#8217;t know what they were building,&#8221; Matt Karch said. &#8220;They didn&#8217;t have any real direction. It couldn&#8217;t last,&#8221; Karch said. &#8220;And so, who&#8217;s going to fund them for the next game after that disaster?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>I found the 2022 game to be a very mediocre affair <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/saints-row-2022-review-a-snappy-but-slightly-uneven-reboot\">when I reviewed it back in 2022<\/a>, calling it a reboot that &#8220;won&#8217;t set the world alight, but there&#8217;s a punchy game here with some pleasant surprises&#8221;.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"preferred-source\" data-component=\"preferred-source\">\nLove Eurogamer.net? Make us a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\">Preferred Source on Google<\/a> and catch more of our coverage in your feeds.  <\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article_body\" data-component=\"article-content\">\n<div class=\"article_body_content article-styling\">\n<p>Original Saints Row design director Chris Stockman has declared the Saints Row franchise is &#8220;dead&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>Last November, Stockman revealed he wanted to revive the open-world crime series following the poorly received 2022 reboot \u2013 developed after he had left Volition \u2013 and claimed that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/original-saints-row-designer-says-unloved-2022-reboot-missed-the-mark-but-the-big-news-is-embracer-wants-him-to-pitch-a-revival\">publisher Embracer Group had reached out to hear more<\/a> about his ideas.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<div class=\"video_wrapper youtube\">\n<a aria-label=\"Let's Play Saints Row (2022) PS5 Co-op Gameplay- GOIN' LOCO IN SANTO ILESO!\" class=\"video-facade full-size\" data-platform=\"youtube\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/deRqU2DwLtk?autoplay=1\" title=\"Click to play video from YouTube\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Cover image for YouTube video\" class=\"video-facade__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/deRqU2DwLtk\/hqdefault.jpg\"><span class=\"video-facade__title\">Let&#8217;s Play Saints Row (2022) PS5 Co-op Gameplay- GOIN&#8217; LOCO IN SANTO ILESO!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div><figcaption>Ian and Zoe are giving Saints Row a play with some launch day co-op &#8211; here&#8217;s a stream!<a class=\"video\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=deRqU2DwLtk\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Watch on YouTube<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Fast forward a few months, however, and Stockman is now less confident, responding to a fan on Discord that IP holder Embracer has &#8220;ghosted him&#8221; and &#8220;has zero ability to do anything with [the franchise]&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;[H]onestly, I think the franchise is dead, unfortunately,&#8221; Stockman said in reply to a commenter who&#8217;d shared their dismay that the last canon game was released &#8220;a decade ago&#8221;.<\/p>\n<div class=\"twitter_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed_wrapper\" data-domain=\"twitter.com\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">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.<\/p>\n<p>Saints Row is once again dead. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/cpPVcRjxwD\">https:\/\/t.co\/cpPVcRjxwD<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/FWpjC6kmkT\">pic.twitter.com\/FWpjC6kmkT<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 rpg! (@papaRPG) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/papaRPG\/status\/2024941290492694703?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 20, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"embed_placeholder\" data-type=\"targeting\"><br \/>\n<span class=\"message\">To see this content please enable targeting cookies.<\/span><br \/>\n<button class=\"optanon-show-settings link\"><br \/>\nManage cookie settings<\/button><\/span>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#8220;I get the sense that Embracer has zero ability to do anything with it,&#8221; he added. &#8220;I wish things were different. I tried my best to offer a path forward, but they&#8217;ve ghosted me.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Stockman&#8217;s comments come <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/saints-row-reboot-developer-didnt-know-what-they-were-building-saber-ceo-says-criticising-shuttered-team\">after the CEO of Saber Interactive had some pretty damning words to say about the reboot<\/a> and its developer, Volition, after it was shuttered in 2023 as part of then-parent company Embracer Group&#8217;s previously announced &#8220;restructuring&#8221; programme.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;They didn&#8217;t know what they were building,&#8221; Matt Karch said. &#8220;They didn&#8217;t have any real direction. It couldn&#8217;t last,&#8221; Karch said. &#8220;And so, who&#8217;s going to fund them for the next game after that disaster?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>I found the 2022 game to be a very mediocre affair <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/saints-row-2022-review-a-snappy-but-slightly-uneven-reboot\">when I reviewed it back in 2022<\/a>, calling it a reboot that &#8220;won&#8217;t set the world alight, but there&#8217;s a punchy game here with some pleasant surprises&#8221;.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Home News Saints Row (2022) &#8220;I think the franchise is dead,&#8221; says Saints Row design director Saints woe. Image credit: Volition News by Vikki Blake Contributor Published on Feb. 21, 2026 3 comments Follow Saints Row (2022) Original Saints Row design director Chris Stockman has declared the Saints Row franchise is &#8220;dead&#8221;. Last November, Stockman [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,253],"class_list":["post-1784490","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-eurogamer-net"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1784490","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1784490"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1784490\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1784490"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1784490"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1784490"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}