Popular Series That Began on Xbox 360 Is Reportedly Dead

February 23, 2026, 1:45pm

A beloved video game series that began on the Xbox 360 in 2006 reportedly seems to be dead. In the early days of the Xbox 360 and PS3 generation, many games initially launched on Xbox hardware before coming to other platforms later. Titles like Mass Effect, BioShock, Dead Rising, Ninja Gaiden 2, and many others began on Xbox 360 but were later ported or saw their sequels go multiplatform. And while many of these franchises in mention have continued onward, it now sounds like one iconic series may have reached its end.

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The game series in question here is that of Saints Row. Developed by Volition, the first Saints Row launched exclusively on Xbox 360 in 2006. Its future sequels, like Saints Row 2, Saints Row: The Third, and Saints Row 4, would all go multiplatform, though, which only made the franchise more popular over the years. In 2022, Volition attempted to reboot the series with a new entry simply dubbed Saints Row, but this revival bombed both commercially and critically. So much so, in fact, that Volition would shutter the following year in 2023.

Now, instead of attempting another comeback for Saints Row, IP owner Embracer Group sounds like it’s content with leaving the series in the grave. Last year, Chris Stockman, the design director of the original Saints Row, informed fans that he was developing a pitch for a new entry in the franchise. Now, in a recent interaction on Discord, Stockman said that Embracer essentially never replied to his pitch, which leads him to believe that the series is done for.

“I think the franchise is dead, unfortunately,” Stockman said. “I wish things were different. I get the sense that Embracer has zero ability to do anything with it. I wish things were different. I tried my best to offer a path forward but they’ve ghosted me.”

This Franchise Dying Is a Big Mistake

To hear that Saints Row might never come back is such a major missed opportunity for Embracer. While 2022’s Saints Row had a litany of problems, on paper, there’s no reason why this series shouldn’t be able to find success. Open-world games remain incredibly popular, as do games centered around crime, clearly shown by the hype for Grand Theft Auto 6. With some fresh new ideas and a focus on what players want from Saints Row, a new reboot of the series could be an enormous win for Embracer.