In a brutally honest statement that’s making waves in the industry, Saber Interactive CEO Matthew Karch has said that the Saints Row franchise “had to die” because the games were simply too expensive for what they were and lacked a clear creative vision.
This revelation comes in the wake of the closure of Volition, the long-running developer behind the Saints Row and Red Faction series. Volition was shuttered in August 2023 as part of a larger restructuring by Embracer Group, and fans have been questioning what went wrong ever since.
💰 “They Were So Expensive for What They Were”
Speaking in an interview, Karch pulled no punches:
“They were so expensive for what they were. They didn’t know what they were building. They didn’t have any real direction. It couldn’t last.”
According to Karch, Saints Row suffered from ballooning development costs and a lack of a unified creative vision, ultimately making it unsustainable in today’s risk-averse gaming market.
The 2022 reboot of Saints Row, which aimed to reinvent the series for a modern audience, received mixed reviews and underwhelming sales—a major blow for a franchise that once stood tall alongside the likes of Grand Theft Auto in the open-world genre.
⚠️ “The Days of Throwing Money at Games Is Over”
Karch’s comments reflect a broader shift in the industry. He warned that unless the business side of gaming “grows up”, more studios could face similar fates:
“The days of throwing money at games—other than maybe the GTAs of the world—is over.”
This signals a move toward leaner, more focused development, especially for franchises that aren’t guaranteed blockbusters.
🪦 The End of Volition and Saints Row
Founded in 1993, Volition had a rich legacy with hits like Red Faction and the original Saints Row trilogy, known for its chaotic, over-the-top humor and gameplay. But recent attempts to revive the series failed to capture the same spark.
The Saints Row reboot released in 2022 was meant to modernize the franchise but instead divided fans, with many criticizing its tone, writing, and technical polish. Its underperformance was a contributing factor in Volition’s closure under Embracer Group’s sweeping cost-cutting measures.
