GTA-like sandbox series Saints Row is apparently coming back in the form of a reboot, and it’ll be present at Gamescom Opening Night Live. Those longing for a direct follow-up to Saints Row 4 may be left somewhat disappointed, as the series appears to be taking things back to basics if an official teaser is anything to go by. Thankfully, fans won’t have to wait long to find out more details about where the crime game series is headed.
A new Saints Row game has been in the works for a while, but the natural assumption was that it would be Saints Row 5. The last game in the franchise took things to the extreme with aliens, superpowers, and much more, so the events of Saints Row 4 might have proven too difficult to follow up directly. Although an entry set in space may be somewhat plausible conceptually, that direction would likely stray too far away from where the series began and potentially alienate longtime fans.
Perhaps for those reasons, Saints Row appears to be getting a modern reboot. Details are scarce right now, but Summer Game Fest and Gamescom Opening Night Live host Geoff Keighley tweeted a small teaser for the game featuring an image of graffiti reading “Rebooting” with The Almighty Saints logo next to it. This seemingly dispels rumors of the next entry will be a Saints Row: The Third sequel and indicates it could be something entirely new, if not a reimagining of the first game. This new Saints Row will be revealed at Gamescom Opening Night live on August 25 at 11 AM PT/2 PM ET.
Whether developer Volition opts to bring back many of the series’ iconic characters in the new game or start completely anew isn’t yet clear, but a reboot could allow the series a lot more creative freedom. Having the ability to start from scratch means Volition wouldn’t be as beholden to its past titles and be able to take the gameplay and story in different directions, whether that be filling the open-world sandbox void left by the long wait for Grand Theft Auto 6 or setting up an all-new plot in which the Saints save the world from evil.
Either way, the series has been on ice for quite some time. The only noteworthy activity from the beloved franchise has been in the form of recent Saints Row remasters, but the wait for a proper follow-up has been going on for eight years now. It appears that Saints Row will live on after all, albeit seemingly under new, rebooted circumstances. At press time, the game has no release date or platforms announced, but that’s liable to change during Gamescom 2021.
