In a recently published video, YouTuber mrsaintsgodzilla21 has claimed that developer Volition’s original plan for Saints Row 5 was to focus on characters from older instalments in the series, with Johnny Gat, Shaundi, Pierce, Dex, and Aisha intended to return as the Saints.

The developer allegedly intended to appeal to both new and old series fans with a tonal balance that would have seen the game telling a more grounded story while also have some over-the-top moments. As per the video, the game’s tone would have been 80% similar to Saints Row 2, and 20% to Saints Row: The Third. Apparently, the game was also going to have a mission designed by community modder Mike Watson – who passed away in 2021 – that would have allowed players to kill Dex.

Though that was reportedly Volition’s plan for the game for a “decent portion” of its development, it ultimately did not align with what publisher Deep Silver had in mind for the series’ next instalment, leading to the original plan being scrapped and replaced with a complete reboot.

Earlier this year, Volition was shut down as part of Deep Silver parent company Embracer Group’s internal restructuring program. In the aftermath of the studio’s shuttering, Deep Silver confirmed that Saints Row would continue with other studios.

Deep Silver, a subsidiary of Koch Media, has clarified on Twitter that fans won’t see Dead Island, Saints Row, Metro or TimeSplitters there “or at any other E3 2021 event.” It will let fans know when it has news to share on the same. Koch Media’s showcase will take place on June 11th at 12 PM PDT/9 PM CEST and Deep Silver “can’t wait to see everyone’s reaction to their news!”

Of course, there are other possible games that could make an appearance like Deep Silver Fishlabs’ Chorus, 1C Entertainment’s King’s Bounty 2, Chivalry 2 (which launches on June 8th) and much more. E3 2021 will start on June 12th and end on June 15th with companies like Square Enix, Ubisoft, Nintendo, Microsoft and Bethesda hosting presentations. Check out the full schedule here and stay tuned for more details.

Our parent company @KochMedia_HQ is making an announcement as part of #SummerGamesFest on June 11th. To give you a head’s up, you won’t see Dead Island, Saints Row, Metro or TimeSplitters there (or at any other E3 2021 event). We’ll let you know when we have news to share.

— Deep Silver (@deepsilver) June 4, 2021

To tune in to the Koch Media event head to https://t.co/CLq5syiLzd – it will start at 9pm CEST/12pm PDT. We can’t wait to see everyone’s reaction to their news!

— Deep Silver (@deepsilver) June 4, 2021

Given how many studios Embracer Group as a whole has under its belt, it can be hard to keep track of which studios and properties fall under which publishing label. The Koch Media label houses quite a few major names, including Deep Silver, Flying Wild Hog, and Milestone srl. Given that lineup, we can probably guess which games are going to show up at the event- or at least speculate about it.

Flying Wild Hog’s Shadow Warrior 3 is due out later this year, as is developer Fishlab’s Chorus, so it’s quite likely that we’ll be seeing more of those games. Dead Island 2, meanwhile, has been in development at Dambuster Studios for some time now, while it’s also about time we heard something official about Volition and Saints Row 5, so here’s hoping those games get updates as well.

Given that fact that Free Radical Design was only recently re-established and that development on the next TimeSplitters game hasn’t even started yet, it’s unlikely that we’ll hear more about that at the event.

Either way, we’ll keep you updated on all news coming our way, so stay tuned.

New Event Added – Friday, June 11, Noon PT / 3 PM ET. #SummerGameFest pic.twitter.com/xPTrBNSdrO

— Summer Game Fest (@summergamefest) May 28, 2021

So let’s take a look at 15 big games rumored to be in development. Remember to take all of these with a grain of salt, even if they’re from respectable sources, sit back and have fun.

Silent Hill Reboots

The Silent Hill reboot saga has only gotten stranger in the past year or so. Originally, rumors claimed that Konami was working with SIE Japan Studio on a reboot that would be exclusive to the PS5. With the lack of announcements or updates, however, it felt like a pipe dream. This past February, developer Bloober Team spoke about how they’d been developing a horror game for more than a year “with a very famous gaming publisher.” VideoGamesChronicle reported that Konami had been shopping the franchise around over the years and that a prominent Japanese developer is currently working on a reboot. This doesn’t mean Bloober Team isn’t working on its own Silent Hill but having two reboots isn’t entirely out of the question. As for the first title, a reveal is apparently coming this Summer so there’s that to look forward to.

Leaks and rumors are a constant these days, even more so given how any digital showcases have been taking place in the year. So it makes perfect sense that a “leak” for Saints Row 5 would come up. Despite lacking a reliable source, the leak provided some rather interesting possibilities like the story following Saints Row The Third, no super powers and the Saints being the villains.

Of course, the key word is “possibilities.” Deep Silver senior PR manager Alex Q. Ryan took to Twitter to debunk the leak, stating frankly, “Sorry to be that guy, but this info is not correct. I definitely can’t wait to share what’s next for Saints, but this isn’t it.”

As for when fans could expect some actual details, Ryan responded, “We have no information to share at this time. I mean other than the ‘leak’ is false, of course.” Unfortunately, it’ll be a while before any official information is revealed. The Embracer Group, which owns Deep Silver, confirmed in May that no major triple-A title would be coming in the current year. Saints Row wasn’t explicitly mentioned but considering the lack of details thus far, it’s fair to assume it falls in that category.

In the meantime, Saints Row The Third Remastered is currently available for Xbox One, PC and PS4, offering revamped visuals and quality of life changes. You can check out our review for it here.

Sorry to be that guy, but this info is not correct. I definitely can't wait to share what's next for Saints, but this isn't it. https://t.co/UwifomaBvw

— AQR (@AlexQRyan) September 13, 2020

I'm surprised it took this long for someone to ask that 🙂

PR voice: "We have no information to share at this time™️"

I mean other than the "leak" is false, of course.

— AQR (@AlexQRyan) September 14, 2020

It seems that we have been waiting quite some time for the Saints Row franchise to make its grand return. The Grand Theft Auto styled game turned the volume on the goof so far up it became its own thing, and not since 2013 has an original game from the franchise came. We were suppose to get a look at a new Saints Row sometime this year, but it’s looking like that could have changed.

The parent company for Deep Silver, Embracer Group, released their most recent financial report. While Saints Row is not explicitly mentioned here, they say in the report that “no major AAA game is coming the current year.” While the definition of “AAA” is one that you can stretch, Saints Row is one of the biggest titles that Deep Silver publishes by a pretty wide margin, as well as the other publishing arms under Embracer such as THQ Nordic and Coffee Stain.

So, just for the sake of clarity, while this is not delay (considering how there’s been no announced date for the new Saints Row), it doesn’t look too good for the seeing the Saints soon between this and not hearing a peep about that next entry since November of last year. If you are jonsing for some action, the remastered version of Saints Row: The Third will be hitting May 22nd. That may be the most you’ll be getting for the foreseeable future.

In its Q1 FY2019 report for the year ending June 31st 2019, THQ Nordic offered some very interesting announcement. Perhaps the most important is that Volition is developing a new Saints Row title. Unlike the spin-off Agents of Mayhem, this is a “full entry” that’s currently “deep in development.”

When it will be released, what it’s called, which platforms it’s coming to and other such details have yet to be revealed. It also remains to be seen where the story could go. Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell effectively retconned the destruction of the Earth in Saints Row 4, which led to Agents of Mayhem. Will the new Saints Row simply take place in the same universe?

Will the series also stick with the super-powers that the fourth game introduced or go back to a more traditional albeit zany open world like Saints Row The Third? Time will tell but for the most part, the Saints are back in business. Stay tuned for more details in the coming months.

The Saints Row series has been awfully quite of late- after the bi-annual release schedule the franchise followed for a while, it seems to have gone on a bit of a hiatus, ever since Saints Row 4: Gat Out Of Hell, and that was only an expansion- it’s been a while since we had a new full fledged entry in the ridiculously over the top open world series.

But that may change this year- publisher Deep Silver, who acquired the franchise after THQ went bankrupt and their assets were auctioned off, are hinting that they may have a major announcement to make this year at E3. Speaking to MCV, CEO Klemens Kundratitz said that “[Deep Silver has] a lot of games in the pipeline and are very much looking forward to E3, where we are not going to be absent and where we will make our next major announcement.”

A Saints Row 5, with the power of the Xbox One and the PS4, could truly be something spectacular and breathtaking. I hope we get to see it soon.

You have to give it to the Third Street Saints – they’ve certainly come up in the world. From GTA clone to an outright romp in insanity to fighting aliens to avoid extinction, the Saints Row franchise is currently unlike anything in the gaming industry today. And after the amazing Saints Row IV, news of a new game has already begun to arrive.

Actor Jay Mohr, who played Dane Vogel in Saints Row 2 (and was subsequently cut from Saints Row IV), tweeted recently that he was “About to do my voice over work for new Saints Row video game”. This could be for DLC, perhaps something featuring the Ultor Corporation or at least Vogel’s lost cameo. It certainly seems possible. Deep Silver has yet to comment when asked by GameSpot for clarification though.

Nonetheless, it could just as easily be for a brand new game. Voice work can be done as early or as late as necessary for a game. At this point, what do you think it could be? We’re hoping for Saints Row 5 but we’d just as easily be satisfied with another DLC.