What a tragic end. "Saints Row", one of the most iconic open-world series, has practically disappeared from the limelight. But why did the franchise have to die so soundlessly? Matthew Karch, CEO of Saber Interactive, has now revealed his views in an interview and takes a hard look at what went wrong behind the scenes.
Why Saints Row was no longer competitive
"The days of spending money on games other than the GTAs of this world are over", says Karch and thus explains the dilemma of the modern video game industry. The growing production costs for single-player games, ambitious ideas and high market expectations have brought many developers and publishers to the brink of the abyss. In particular, "Saints Row", which is set to be a hit with its 2022 reboot with mixed reviews suffered from the ever-increasing expectations. Karch himself describes the situation as a "disaster" in which the development team at Volition simply didn't know what it was supposed to be. The series lost direction and could no longer keep up with the huge budgets invested in it.
Gigantic budgets and a lack of direction
The production costs of a game like "Saints Row" have now reached dimensions that are almost unthinkable. Karch speaks of "nine-figure budgets" and the "eight-figure revenues" that such productions entail. In a world in which financial expectations are becoming ever greater and developers have to deliver even more, the creative scope is increasingly limited. No wonder the series had finally passed its zenith after the 2022 reboot, which polarized fans. The game failed to achieve the hoped-for sales figures, and Volition, the studio behind the series, was finally closed.
The problem is clear: who should invest in a project that failed to meet the high expectations? And who can afford to finance another risky project like a new "Saints Row" if the figures don't add up? Karch provides the answer to this question himself: "Who is going to finance their next game after this disaster?"
Reality and pipe dream
In an ideal world, the series would perhaps still get a chance, but the reality is unfortunately different. The true cost of such ambitious projects is not only the vast amounts of money, but also the redundancies and dwindling hope for developers struggling with the challenges of the industry. If the financial models are not right, the only option left is the painful path of closure.
The closure of Volition is not only a bitter blow for fans, but also a reflection of the industry, in which only a few major brands such as "GTA" and "Call of Duty" are still able to assert themselves. The days when games like "Saints Row" and "Red Faction" left a lasting impression seem to be over for good. Whether and how these brands will live on under the new owner Plaion remains questionable. But the reality of the industry says a lot about the future of such series: In a world dominated by financial constraints, the survival of a series like "Saints Row" is simply no longer possible.
English 
German