For many years, theSaints Rowfranchise has been built in part on faction-based crime wars, and the upcoming reboot from Volition is no exception. Once again, players will find themselves building up power for the Saints, albeit in the new setting of Santa Ileso. The reboot, simply calledSaints Row,will feature a combination of old and new features. Players can expect explosive, over-the-top gunfights in the streets of Santa Ileso as usual, but the overall faction mechanics come with some valuable new ideas, like the player’s ability to set up businesses in territory that they claim from their rival factions.
Taking control of Santa Ileso inSaints Rowwon’t be easy. Players have three different factions to fight off in their quest for wealth and power, and each comes with a different aesthetic and skillset that sound like they’ll mix up combat and the game’s plot. These factions are Los Panteros, the Idols, and Marshall Defense Industries. Volition has conjured up a variety of noteworthy traits for the factions ofSaints Row,from vehicle skills to outlandish sci-fi weaponry. While none of them are truly comparable to one another, they ought to add up to a diverseSaints Rowexperience overall.
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Los Panteros
Los Panteros are the most grounded of the three rival factions inSaints Row.Players can easily recognize the game’s members by their fondness of athletic clothing, as well as the heavy weapons and blunt objects their wield in combat. Raw strength is the defining characteristic of Los Panteros. Aside from their heavy weapons, Los Panteros set themselves apart through their love of cars.VeteranSaints Rowplayersmay remember a car brand called Scorpion in previous games, and that brand comes into play in the reboot. Santa Ileso was once a major site of Scorpion car production, and Los Panteros heavily associate themselves with the car brand and cars in general. Their vehicles are sure to be a major strength throughout the game.
The Idols
Out of all the rival factions, the Idols may be the easiest enemies to see coming. This Santa Ileso gang sets itself apart through a colorful neon aesthetic that borrows from rave and EDM culture, which means they’re consistently flashy in appearance. Players can’t write the Idols off due to their fun look, however; the Idols have been described as a cult due to the number of members that they attract, and the aesthetic belies the organizations desire to bring anarchy to the streets of Santa Ileso. When the Idols get involved incombat inSaints Row,players can expect to get swarmed by huge numbers of these colorful cultists. Their numbers and agility will make them formidable opponents.
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Marshall Defense Industries
Marshall Defense Industries is a very different faction from the rest, and not just thanks to its blue and white cowboy flair. This private military company is poised to seize control of Santa Ileso . Resources are a key strength of Marshall’s, thanks to its line of work. As a military organization, Marshall has access to a wealth of extraordinary sci-fi weapons and gadgets, as well as highly trained soldiers that’ll threaten the player. Seizing weapons from Marshall will certainly be a major part of progression throughoutSaints Row,but it doesn’t sound like it’ll be easy to stand up to Marshall’s soldiers in a gunfight, even thoughtheSaints Rowprotagonistis ex-Marshall themself.
Volition has come up with a wild range of factions forSaints Rowplayers to face, and that’s a great thing. The city of Santa Ileso feels much more fleshed out with the help of a wide range of gangs that want to rule its streets for a variety of reasons and in a variety of ways. Ultimately, fans will just have to wait and see who proves to bethe toughest enemy inSaints Row.Considering the range of skills that each gang possesses, there’s a case to be made for all of them.
Saints Rowreleases July 12, 2025 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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