In 2022, the reboot of Saints Row didn’t go as planned, but the creator of the original wanted to save the series—only they won’t let him.
Chris Stockman is the design director of the first Saints Row, laying the foundation for a popular open-world series. The attempt to reboot Saints Row failed in 2022. However, Stockman wanted to revive the series together with publisher Embracer and reported in November 2025 that they had contacted him.
“I think it’s over, unfortunately.”
A few months later, however, Stockman seems to be throwing in the towel, as a fan explains on Discord.
A Twitter user posted the developer’s statement, which offers little hope for another Saints Row.
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.
Saints Row is once again dead. https://t.co/cpPVcRjxwD pic.twitter.com/FWpjC6kmkT
— rpg! (@papaRPG) February 20, 2026
Link to Twitter content
Stockman explains:
Honestly, I think it’s over. I feel like Embracer doesn’t have the skills to do anything with it. I wish things were different. I tried my best to offer a way forward, but they ghosted me.
This development is surprising, given that Stockman’s statements in November made it clear that Embracer had approached him. However, according to this comment, the interest has faded and the publisher has broken off contact.
What was Stockman’s idea?
Of course, the pitch for a reboot of the reboot wasn’t very specific, but Stockmann wanted to tell a kind of prequel to the characters from the first games.
The setting would be the 70s, when the 3rd Street Saints first came together. He even wanted to set it in this era so as not to compete with the modern GTA 6. His plan was also to recruit developers who had already worked with him on the first installment for the project. The developer behind the Saints Row reboot, Volition, was dissolved by Embracer in 2023 after DLCs and patches failed to save the game, and the employees were distributed to other studios within the company. Now that Chris Stockman’s attempt to revive the series is also threatening to fail, Saints Row is completely on hold for the time being.
