When will Saints Row V be released? Here’s the full story

Grand Theft Auto has relied mainly on its multiplayer (MP) feature to prolong interest in its franchise. While GTA 6 may not have a release date yet, the game is expected to be in full MP mode and this is where Saints Row 5 has to take advantage.

Saints Row 5 Full Multiplayer Mode

Saints Row is another franchise in the same niche as GTA. Like the Rockstar-created series, it’s also rumored to be welcoming a new addition to the family. We’ve previously written about some of the cool new features that Volition, the developer behind the Saints Row series, might have up its sleeve. This included things like space-time exploration and voice customization.

An official announcement has yet to be made about the development of Saints Row 5. But the gaming community is currently buzzing about the fact that the franchise has been partial to single-player mode.

In forums like Reddit, gamers weigh in on the benefits of having Saints Row 5 in MP mode instead. We’ve rounded up some of the most compelling arguments below.

Microtransactions

One Reddit commenter how the customization options for character clothing and weapons in Saints Row 1 got players hooked on the game years after it was released. The same commenter added that Volition should reincorporate the microtransactions in Saints Row 5 to sustain interest in the game and maximize profit potential. A win-win.

Developer support and interaction

Another argument put forward in favor of MP was increased developer support and interaction. By allowing multiple players to pit their strengths and test their skills in one gaming environment, developers would continue to be involved in the process. This means fostering more significant relationships with the gamers themselves, something that could be beneficial in the case of making Saints Row 5 bigger and better.

Only time will show what will be featured in Saints Row 5. But if it’s ever going to match up to GTA 6, a return to MP appears to be called for.

Is Jim Boone Key for Saints Row 5?

The year was 2006 when the first Saints Row game was released. Developed by Volition and published by THQ, the open world action-adventure video game was favorable. Over the years, three more editions and one standalone expansion were released. That last release was in 2015.

In 2017, Volition released Agents of Mayhem. It’s another open world action-adventure video game that is set in the same universe as the Saints Row series. It also involved a couple of plot and character crossovers. However, the game received mixed reviews upon release.

As a result, Volition had to lay off a number of staffs. However, the company also brought back long-time producer Jim Boone back into the fold.

Jim Boone and Volition

Boone had been with Volition since 1994. Back then the company was still part of Parallax. There, he worked on QA on the publishing side.

When Parallax split into Volition and Outrage, Boone remained and served as producer on the FreeSpace series. He was there when the company produced Red Faction and Saints Row. He served as one of the spokespeople for the company but left in 2015 for Riot Games, the makers of League of Legends.

Shortly after the layoffs, Volition brought back Boone to serve as studio development director.

Deep Silver is Volition’s parent company and has been since 2013. Director of Games Development Eugenio Vitale says that Boone is able to bring “huge competence and production experience.”

Boone returns to a company with employees who have seen their friends go. That’s not an entirely happy situation but Boone adds that a number of employees understand that “sometimes these things happen.”

Boone is tasked with trying to build Volition up from the disappointment that was Agents of Mayhem. It’s been close to a year since the layoffs happened and there hasn’t been news of what Volition might do next.

However, Boone has hinted in an interview with GamesIndustry.biz in 2017 that there will be “a lot of analysis.” They will be looking into what worked and what didn’t work with Agents of Mayhem and see how to improve.

Is a Saints Row 5 to Be Expected?

Many wondered why Volition made Agents of Mayhem instead of a new Saints Row. After all, it was set in the same fictional universe and even borrowed some plots and characters.

Then again, the chance get funding to create an entirely new game is pretty rare and so no one could fault Volition for taking the chance. It’s just sad that the turnout was quite disappointing.

Boone was with Volition when Saints Row was released. He is credited as producer on the second edition until the 2015 release. This has led many in the gaming community to think that Saints Row 5 is coming.

Boone knows Volition well – he has been with the company for most of its life. He understands the audience, and that can only mean good news.

However, nothing official has been announced and gamers might have to wait a while longer as Volition continues to recover from a loss.