‘Saints Row’ prequel could be in the works from original creator
“I’m really going back to my roots”
by Ali Shutler · NMEThe design director of 2006’s Saints Row, Chris Stockman, has reportedly been asked for ideas about a prequel game.
The original Saints Row took heavy influence from the Grand Theft Auto series and spawned a number of sequels. The franchise was rebooted in 2022 by Volition but the game was met with mixed reviews from fans and critics alike. According to publishers Embracer Group, Saints Row “did not meet the full expectations and left the fanbase partially polarised” and Volition was shut down the following year.
Last month, Stockman told Embracer to “contact” him to talk about reviving the Saints Row franchise. “I can bring much of the old band back together who worked on Saints Row 1. I could turn that IP around with a decent budget. They don’t even have to fund it. I could get other outside people to fund it. I could turn the franchise around. I know I could,” he told EsportsInsider.
Now, in a new post on Reddit, Stockman has claimed that Embracer has reached out about creating a new Saints Row game. “Guys and Gals, I have hopeful news! I’ve been asked to create a pitch for a Saints Row reboot! I can’t say anything more than that but my dreams for this game just became a little more than just dreams,” he explained. He went on to say that the prequel won’t be a VR game. “The core idea of Saints Row ’77 is to go back to the roots of what made Saints Row 1 entertaining in the first place. It was somewhat grounded in reality but also a bit zany too. It had a lot more satirical elements vs. the later entries. I aim to bring the series back to that feeling,” he added.
In an interview with PCGamesN, Stockman said he wants to bring the franchise “back to its roots,” after the reboot “strayed way too far away” from that. “I completely understand why they went that way but in the end they kind of painted themselves into a corner they couldn’t get out of,” he added.
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“Best of luck, Chris! Saint’s Row really deserves a place in this industry, and it’s sorely missed! Hope it gets the green light and that you and the team gets to make the game you all envision it to be,” wrote one fan. “Damn this actually made me shed a couple tears, really thought the series was cooked,” added another.
Recently, Stockman also said that the upcoming Grand Theft Auto 6 “deserves” to be sold for $100 but other publishers shouldn’t try to copy the RRP. “I think that there’ll be a tremendous amount of backlash if everyone switched to $100. Not all games are created equal.”
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