The latest installment of Saints Row continues to face financial challenges for its creators, which is not entirely surprising, considering the mixed reception from both critics and players since its launch in August. However, the developers won’t give up on the project just yet, promising more updated down the road, and possibly hoping for a Cyberpunk 2077-like revival in a long term.
In a recent financial report, Embracer acknowledged that Saints Row did not perform well, although specific sales figures for the underwhelming open-world game were not provided. The publisher admitted that overall performance in Q4 “was below management expectations,” indicating that several new titles, including the sci-fi adventure Scars Above, failed to impress players and critics, and did not meet their sales targets. Additionally, even previous releases from Embracer Group continue to impact the company’s earnings in recent months. The report stated, “the profitability in Q4 is also impacted by the amortization of game development costs for titles released with lower-than-expected ROI earlier in the financial year, including the Saints Row reboot.”
Back in February, the company expressed its intention to take fewer risks following Saints Row’s disappointing performance. However, despite the setback, the publisher has chosen not to abandon the presumably costly project, and is hopeful of recouping their investments in the future. The report indicates that players can anticipate the ongoing support for the title, and “can look forward to an array of upcoming updates in the following months, further enriching their gaming experience” with Saints Row.
In early May, Saints Row received its first major DLC, marking “a significant milestone for the game, which has been consistently enhanced with noteworthy updates and exciting features.” Since then, developer Volition (now transitioned to work under Gearbox Entertainment) has also dropped several free updates for the game, overhauling its combat, expanding the world’s map, and adding more variety to the side activities. According to Saints Row’s official roadmap, more major updates are scheduled for July and August, potentially generating more excitement among players ahead of the game’s upcoming launch on Steam sometime later this year. The vast player base on Steam presents an opportunity for increased sales and renewed interest in the title, which is undoubtedly what Embracer is hoping for.
Regarding the publisher’s more profitable titles, it was revealed that Dead Island 2 “enjoyed a highly successful start,” selling over two million units within its first month, while Metro: Exodus has also achieved impressive sales figures, surpassing 8.5 million units sold, with half a million units sold in Q4 alone.