Layoffs in the video game industry are becoming more common by the day, and it's incredibly bleak to see small and big teams alike gutted to make space for ill-conceived financial decisions by their higher-ups.

It's sad to see those who make the video games that we engage with told to find jobs elsewhere, divvying up teams that have been long-standing in the industry - and that's exactly what's happened to a pretty big name.

• Saints Row Is Being Obliterated By Critics

Saints Row's Volition has been shut down

In an unfortunate turn, Volition, the team behind the Saints Row franchise and Agents of Mayhem, has been shut down by its parent company, Embracer Group.

The news was revealed by a message from the team posted to their Twitter page, in which they thanked fans for their continued support, even in spite of two relatively disappointing games to come most recently in the form of the rebooted Saints Row and Agents of Mayhem.

"We've loved your enthusiasm every step of the way, even those times when vou wish we had (or hadn't!) gone a certain way with a Saints Row or Red Faction or Descent," the team says. "You are why we kept making these games, and those of us that have been part of the Volition family will be eternally grateful."

The sad farewell is a concerning indicator of the state of the industry - but many fans have had one question to ask above all. What about Saints Row?

• Saints Row Has An Iconic Meme Culture Easter Egg

Deep Silver will keep publishing Saints Row

Without its dedicated development team, fans have been wondering about the fate of the Saints Row franchise. Given that the game is still owned by Deep Silver as a publisher, then we likely won't have to worry about the series falling to the wayside. If they return, the games should be developed by another team.

Though it's relieving to find out that the future of Saints Row hasn't been entirely canned, it's still hard to say farewell to the Volition team. Thanks for the memories.