Oslo, Norway – A meaningful shift in Norway’s gaming landscape occurred today as Embracer Group announced the planned closure of Volition, the studio behind the Saints Row franchise. This decision, impacting approximately 200 employees, comes as part of a broader restructuring effort within the Swedish holding company.
The announcement detailed that Volition, located in Champaign, Illinois, will cease operations following the completion of work on its current projects. Embracer group cited the underperformance of the 2022 Saints Row reboot as a key factor in the decision. The reboot failed to meet sales expectations,resulting in a substantial write-down of 490 million Swedish krona (approximately $47 million USD) for Embracer in august 2023.
Embracer Group’s restructuring plan involves consolidating its operations and focusing on projects with higher profitability potential. along with Volition’s closure, the company is also reducing its workforce across other studios and cancelling several unannounced games. The total number of employees affected by the restructuring is estimated to be around 7% of embracer’s global workforce.
Volition was founded in 1990 as Parallax Software, initially focusing on flight simulators. The studio gained prominence in 2000 with the release of the first Saints Row game, a title that initially aimed to compete with the Grand Theft Auto series. over the years, the Saints Row franchise evolved into a more over-the-top and comedic action-adventure series, cultivating a dedicated fanbase.
prior to the 2022 reboot, Volition had developed four main Saints Row titles: Saints Row (2006), Saints Row 2 (2008), Saints Row: The Third (2011), and Saints Row IV (2013). The studio also worked on the spin-off title, Agents of Mayhem, released in 2017.
The closure of Volition marks a notable loss for the video game industry, particularly for fans of the Saints Row series. The future of the franchise remains uncertain, with Embracer Group stating it will evaluate options for the intellectual property at a later date. The company’s financial reports indicate a challenging period, necessitating difficult decisions to ensure long-term sustainability.
Embracer Group, headquartered in Karlstad, Sweden, owns a diverse portfolio of game studios and intellectual properties, including Deep Silver, THQ Nordic, and Saber Interactive. The company has experienced rapid growth through acquisitions in recent years, but recent financial setbacks have prompted a strategic reassessment of its business model.
