Embracer Group has shut down Saints Row developer Volition “effective immediately” as part of its restructuring plan. The studio was on the eve of celebrating its 30-year anniversary before the news dropped that its doors would be closing for good. Volition’s last game, 2022’s Saints Row reboot, was considered a commercial failure.
Volition posted a message informing fans that Embracer Group had made the decision to close the studio following a restructuring program that aimed to position the company as “a leader in the video game industry.” Unfortunately, this meant Volition would get the short end of the stick amidst the restructure.
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Volition’s statement on its closure reads:
“The Volition team has proudly created world-class entertainment for fans around the globe for 30 years. We’ve been driven by a passion for our community and always worked to deliver joy, surprise, and delight. This past June, Embracer Group announced a restructuring program to strengthen Embracer and maintain its position as a leader in the video game industry. As part of that program, they evaluated strategic and operational goals and made the difficult decision to close Volition effective immediately.”
Volition added that it’s working “to provide job assistance and help smooth the transition for our Volition family members” as many developers would be left without jobs after the closure.
Volition was first formed 30 years ago as Parallax Software Corporation before officially changing its name to Volition in 1996. THQ acquired the studio in 2000 but when THQ went bankrupt in 2012, it was acquired by Koch Media and put under its Deep Silver publishing label. Koch Media would later be acquired by Embracer Group in 2018 along with Volition and its IPs.
Volition developed several games over its three-decade run including the Red Faction games but it’s better known for developing the Saints Row series consisting of Saints Row, Saints Row 2, Saints Row: The Third and Saints Row IV in addition to its last game, the 2022 Saints Row reboot.
If you want to play the Saints Row reboot, it’s currently being heavily discounted on Steam. It’s also included in this month’s free PlayStation Plus Essentials lineup.
Source: Video Games Chronicle