Saints Row is being rebooted, in case you hadn't heard, and we thought it would be released in February 2022, but that date just changed...
Saints Row is being rebooted. The trailer shows real potential, and we're no less hyped for it after this news, but obviously delays are disappointing.
If you hadn't played much of Saints Row back in the day it was basically GTA on acid and crack. Everything was ridiculous and over the top, but it did at least work gangs into the game far better than GTA ever has. This time around they want a slightly more grounded experience, but don't expect a serious tone.
Whatever you're expecting, you'll need to wait a little longer than we thought.
When Will Saints Row Be Released Now?
"Saints Row will no longer release on the originally announced date of 25th February 2022, instead it will launch worldwide on 23rd August 2022" according toa recent blog post by CCO Jim Boone.
Obviously, this news is pretty disappointing, there aren't many other great games coming out in the spring and this would've kept us entertained for quite a while. It's great to see this will be a full reboot of the franchise though, rather than a cash grab remaster like its competitor...
Why Was Saints Row Delayed?
This is where things get interesting. Remember, the trailer and Febraury release date where only shared in late summer, and yet already (November 17 at the time of writing) we've been given the first delay. In the blog post Boone blames COVID, as one would expect:
In all honesty, we underestimated the impact COVID would have on our schedule, although everyone adapted very quickly to the working from home arrangement and continued to be incredibly productive.However, due to the size and scope of our new Saints Row, it’s become apparent that to create the best game possible, we need to give our team longer to perfect their craft.
But we're years into the pandemic at this point. While we can't say anything for certain, we're suspicious about this cause of delay.
Look if games need to be delayed to be perfected then they should be, but we're wondering whether there might be some ambitiouis angle to this project (an online element to the game, maybe a take on the BR experience etc.) that's actually to blame for the delay. Either way, we wish the team all the best on finishing Saints Row, and we're no less excited to play it!