A Saints Row founder says the franchise is “dead” after Embracer allegedly ghosted his comeback

Why this matters: a co‑founder saying “it’s dead” is more than nostalgia

This caught my attention because Saints Row isn’t a small indie IP – it’s one of the sandbox series that shaped the last two console generations. When Chris Stockman, the design director on the original Saints Row, tells fans the franchise is “dead” after Embracer allegedly ignored his revival pitch, that’s a red flag about the practical fate of a once‑iconic property and the industry’s appetite for big open‑world reboots.

• Key takeaways: Stockman says Embracer “ghosted” him after soliciting a pitch; his proposal was a 1970s prequel aimed at the series’ roots.
• No public response from Embracer; the IP remains under corporate control after Volition’s closure.
• The situation illustrates broader troubles for costly open‑world reboots in an era of restructuring and franchise fatigue.

What Stockman actually said – and where that claim comes from

Stockman’s comments originated in a Bit Planet Games Discord exchange that was captured and shared on X by user @papaRPG in mid‑February. In that conversation – which multiple outlets have reported — Stockman bluntly wrote, “Honestly, I think the franchise is dead,” adding that he felt Embracer “has zero ability to do anything with it” and that they had “ghosted” him after he submitted a revival proposal. Eurogamer, 3DJuegos and a Steam News post all covered those remarks.

According to the reporting, the pitch Stockman prepared was a middling‑budget prequel set in the 1970s that leaned into the original game’s gang origins and signature tone instead of chasing the modern reboot’s direction. He says Embracer had asked for ideas last November and that after he turned in a plan, the company stopped engaging.

Why Embracer’s silence matters

No official statement from Embracer has contradicted or confirmed Stockman’s account. That silence is meaningful for two reasons. First, the IP sits with a corporate owner who has been through years of restructuring; Volition, the studio behind Saints Row, was closed in 2023 after the 2022 reboot failed commercially. Second, without an active studio or a published plan, the practical options are limited: Embracer could license the IP, assemble a new team, or leave it idle. Stockman’s public comments suggest none of those paths are happening soon.

Context: reboot burn and open‑world fatigue

The 2022 Saints Row reboot drew harsh criticism from many corners for losing what fans loved about the franchise — its anarchic tone and memorable characters — and it underperformed. Industry voices have been vocal about the game’s direction and Volition’s subsequent shutdown. That failure, plus Embracer’s larger streamlining of studios and IPs, makes a straightforward revival expensive and risky.

On top of that, the market for AAA open‑world crime games is crowded and attention is increasingly concentrated around a few giant franchises. Publishers are wary of greenlighting big budget reboots that lack a clear competitive edge or a passionate internal steward. Stockman’s pitch was explicitly pitched as a smaller, rootsy revival — a signal that even original creators recognize triple‑A reboot economics are often the wrong move now.

The gamer perspective — why this feels like more than a corporate shrug

For longtime Saints Row fans, Stockman’s words read like finality. Community reactions across Reddit and X show disappointment and resignation: conversations range from calls to license the IP to smaller studios to simple sadness that a franchise with memorable highs might be left to rot. From a player’s viewpoint, this is one of those rare cases where the creator’s public despair lines up with corporate passivity.

What to watch next

• Embracer’s Q1‑2026 financials and IP updates (earnings season is when companies often announce licensing deals or portfolio changes).
• Any move by Stockman’s Bit Planet or third parties to publicly pursue a licensing deal for Saints Row.
• Broader signals about the open‑world market after major releases later this year — demand and publisher willingness to fund risky reboots.

Until Embracer says otherwise, this looks like a franchise in limbo with a founding designer publicly mourning what may be an untimely end. Stockman’s story is a reminder that IP ownership and corporate restructuring can snuff out creative comeback attempts even when the original creators want to return to the table.

TL;DR

Chris Stockman says Saints Row is “dead” after Embracer allegedly ghosted his 1970s prequel pitch. With Volition closed and no public plans from the IP holder, the franchise looks unlikely to return soon unless Embracer changes course or licenses it out.