Saints Row (2022) - What Happened?

Summary

The 2022 *Saints Row* reboot faced a turbulent development, marked by creative clashes, constant rewrites, and delays. Originally conceived as a sequel, it transitioned to a full reboot in 2019, leading to clashes between Volition's writing team and management. The COVID-19 pandemic slowed progress, while crunch time and high staff turnover worsened the situation. Despite public anticipation, the game suffered from technical issues and negative reception. Poor sales and high development costs, combined with corporate mismanagement, led to Volition’s eventual closure. The story highlights the struggles of AAA game development and the human cost behind a failed project.

Takeaways

• 😀 Saints Row 2022 was initially planned as a reboot, aiming to bring fresh ideas and character designs after the end of Saints Row IV.
• 😀 The development of the game was troubled, with constant changes in direction and clashes between the writing team and management over character design and story direction.
• 😀 The project faced significant delays, with the original launch planned for late 2020, but the game was not completed until August 2022.
• 😀 The COVID-19 pandemic slowed down development, exacerbating pre-existing issues such as constant staff turnover and difficulty completing the game.
• 😀 Staff at Volition worked long hours during crunch periods, with many departments logging 50-60 hours a week, which led to constant departures from the studio.
• 😀 Volition struggled with creating new characters that could match the iconic personalities from the original Saints Row games, leading to a sense of dissatisfaction with the final cast.
• 😀 Deep Silver, Volition’s parent company, tied staff bonuses to high Metacritic scores, a practice that demotivated employees, as they knew achieving the target was nearly impossible.
• 😀 Despite the game's critical reception being negative, Saints Row 2022 performed relatively well commercially, though it didn't meet sales expectations.
• 😀 Volition continued to release patches post-launch, addressing over 200 bugs, but the game never experienced a significant momentum shift like No Man’s Sky or Cyberpunk 2077.
• 😀 Ultimately, Volition was closed by Embracer Group in 2023 due to poor performance with Saints Row, marking the end of a 30-year legacy in game development.

Q & A

What was the original idea behind *Saints Row* 2022, and how did it change over time?

Initially, *Saints Row* 2022 was envisioned as a sequel to *Saints Row IV*, continuing the story with the same characters like Johnny Gat. However, the idea evolved into a full reboot, with the developers deciding to start fresh to explore new storylines and characters, offering a new direction for the franchise.

Why did Volition decide to reboot the *Saints Row* franchise rather than continue with the existing characters?

Volition chose to reboot the franchise to open up new creative possibilities. The team felt that a fresh start would bring new story ideas, making the game more appealing to both new players and those who had been following the franchise for years.

What challenges did Volition face when creating new characters for the reboot?

Creating new characters for the reboot proved difficult because the team wanted to avoid rehashing old concepts, like gangsters becoming superheroes. This led to numerous rewrites and shifts in direction, which slowed down development and resulted in a lack of cohesive character development.

How did the writing process impact the development of *Saints Row* 2022?

The writing process was marked by constant changes, with the team struggling to define a clear direction for the story. Several unplanned missions were added to fill gaps in the narrative, leading to delays and disruptions in the development cycle, which further extended the timeline.

How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect the game's development?

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly slowed down the game's progress. The pandemic added further delays and complications, preventing the development team from completing the game as originally planned, forcing them to push back release dates.

What were the consequences of Volition's frequent staff turnover during development?

Frequent staff turnover during the game's development led to a loss of institutional knowledge, creating further strain on the remaining team members. This resulted in even more crunch time as staff worked longer hours to compensate for the loss of employees, contributing to poor morale and more delays.

What role did the unrealistic expectations set by Deep Silver play in the game's struggles?

Deep Silver set high expectations by tying end-of-project bonuses to meeting a specific Metacritic score. This caused dissatisfaction among staff, as many felt the target was unattainable. This led to further resignations and a decline in team morale, negatively impacting the game's development.

Why was *Saints Row* 2022 delayed by six months?

The game was delayed by six months because Volition was understaffed, and many team members had left the studio. The delays were necessary to ensure the game could be finished, though it ultimately still faced issues at launch.

How did *Saints Row* 2022 perform commercially despite its critical reception?

Despite its critical reception, *Saints Row* 2022 performed moderately well commercially, becoming the second bestselling game across all formats in its release month. However, it dropped to seventh place the following month, indicating a decline in sales momentum.

What led to the closure of Volition after the release of *Saints Row* 2022?

Volition's closure was a result of both the poor reception of *Saints Row* 2022 and broader financial difficulties faced by Embracer Group. The failed $2 billion partnership caused Embracer to cut costs, and Volition, as a studio with high overhead and poor game performance, became a target for closure.