Why Johnny Gat Wasn’t In Saints Row’s Reveal Trailer

Gamescom 2021 gave Saints Row fans a first look at the game’s upcoming reboot, which seems to return the series to its roots with one notable exclusion: Johnny Gat. The staple character of the series is entirely missing from the Saints Row reboot trailer, which has led many to question whether he’ll be included in the game in any capacity at all.

Effectively, the Saints Row reboot – which is set to release in early 2022 – will be starting the franchise over from scratch, featuring new locations, characters, and organizations. Tonally, things remain a bit uncertain, with the trailer seeming to dial things back somewhat from the over-the-top comedy showcased in Saints Row: The Third and onward. Evidently, the lack of space aliens and superpowers also leaves little room for other familiar elements from the original Saints Row series, including iconic faces such as Johnny Gat.

It was confirmed by the game’s developers that neither Johnny Gat nor many of the other familiar Saints Row elements, including its setting, Stilwater, would be making a return in the Saints Row reboot. On one hand, this allows the series to give itself some breathing room, taking a step back from the impossibly high stakes of Saints Row IV. Although the reboot’s character designs have already drawn some criticism from returning fans for seeming tonal divergence from prior games, the reboot will allow space for these new characters to come into their own. On the other hand, Saints Row is effectively leaving behind its characters, a large part of what shaped its identity in the past, which could be a mistake.

Why Johnny Gat Isn’t In The New Saints Row Reboot

Of course, the game won’t be without its fair share of Easter eggs according to the developers, and it seems likely that quite a few of these could, at the very least, make mention of Johnny Gat and the Third Street Saints. Given that the reboot doesn’t seem to be taking itself too seriously – the tone falls somewhere between the criminal drama elements of Saints Row 2 and the more humorous story featured in Saints Row: The Third – it seems doubtful that it would go without at least a few winks and nods to returning fans. That said, it’s unlikely that Gat will make a full-on return, barring any surprises in the narrative.

It remains to be seen whether the series can manage to successfully distance itself from its past without entirely abandoning what made Saints Row so noteworthy in the first place. While a notorious criminal such as Johnny Gat wouldn’t be well-suited for the game’s story, given the inexperienced nature of the reboot’s other protagonists, he would help make Saints Row more instantly recognizable if he were to be included even just in a cameo or two. As 2022 approaches, it’s probable that more previews of the Saints Row reboot will be provided, including any hints towards Gat’s potential involvement.

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Ky Shinkle
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Ky Shinkle is a Senior Gaming Features Writer for Screen Rant as well as an overall avid gamer and writer. Her prior experience is primarily that of a narrative designer for video games, although her writing has covered all formats from screenplays and novels to stage scripts. A graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design, when she isn’t writing she works on digital media projects and other types of fiction writing. Ky currently works out of Ohio and enjoys spending her free time either playing RPGs or running with her dog.

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