Deep Silver and Volition have today confirmed that Saints Row has officially been delayed. Volition’s Saints Row reboot is now due to arrive on August 23, 2022, seven months later than its initially-planned arrival date of February 25, 2022.
Volition chief creative officer Jim Boone announced the delay via the Saints Row Twitter account. In an extended post on the Saints Row website Boone conceded the team misjudged the impact the COVID-19 pandemic would ultimately have on Saints Row’s development.
“Our priority is to create the best Saints Row game yet and, if we released on the original date, it wouldn’t be up to the standards we’ve set ourselves, and that you’re expecting and deserve,” wrote Boone. “The team just need more time to do our vision justice; we’re doing some fine tuning and there won’t be much change in the game outside of overall quality and polish.
“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.
“Rest assured, there will not be any changes to the story or the characters or anything that we’ve lovingly imagined over the last few years and already shared with you.
“Over the past two years, all corners of the entertainment industry have been affected/impacted in one way or another. As gamers ourselves, we know what it feels like to have something delayed which you’ve been looking forward to; it’s frustrating and you feel disappointed. But we also know that when we finally get Saints Row in your hands, it will have been worth the wait. It’s our absolute priority to get this right.”
Volition’s Saints Row reboot was first revealed during the Opening Night Live showcase at Gamescom 2021. Set in a new city inspired by the American southwest, Saints Row will be the first new game in the series since 2013's Saints Row 4.
Luke is Games Editor at IGN's Sydney office. You can find him on Twitter every few days @MrLukeReilly. He loves Red Faction. Don't ask him stuff about Saints Row.