The Saints Row series has to be one of if not the most tragic and saddest downfall of a game series I have seen yet.

So, Mike Watson wanted to not only get the Saints Row 2 patch done, but also bring SR1 to PC, revive the multiplayer, port SR2 to newer systems and, hopefully remaster them both? And he worked on that patch until his dying day?? That is some absolute next-level dedication to the series, it's a shame that bellend Minimaul pretty much ruined the entire community.

Him deciding to take on a surgery that would leave a terrible life to live, but give him more time to work on the patch, is fucking heartbreaking.

A betrayal AND cancer? The universe does not want Saints Row 2 to succeed. RIP Mike Watson.

Seeing Mike so excited about finding the source code is absolutely heartbreaking. This man would have single handedly fixed this game, given the opportunity. I've never seen so much love for a single game from one person. Purely good things aren't meant for this world I guess.

Saints Row 2 should have had the DLC available for PC a literal decade ago.

I wonder how Thomas aka Minimaul feels knowing he basically killed not only Saints Row 2 on PC, but Mike's career and ultimately, Mike himself. Knowing that if he spoke up sooner about his lack of abilities so new developers would have been added to the team, there was a very good chance the patch would've been released as planned. But since he stayed silent and ghosted Mike, he pushed the dominoes that ended up with Volition closing their doors. Hope he's happy living with the fact his arrogance and refusal to be upfront killed a franchise he loved so dearly, and the stress induced by his arrogance killed his good friend of 10y

No wonder he called himself "minimal" He literally destroyed the foundation of the franchise, the community and a good man who trusted him. I hope karma catches up with him

First I just want to thank you Flippy for making this video. I’m grateful people can fully see the passion Mike Watson had for the Saints Row community and the lengths he went through to try bringing as much joy to it as possible. Even beyond just the patch, Mike always put the fans above all else and did countless things for us behind the scenes. Without him, we may have never had those legendary Volition’s streams, Saints Row Undercover would just be a mystery (let alone publicly playable), and so much more. You couldn’t have asked for a better community manager. For Mike, it was never just a job, it was a privilege to work for the studio that made some of his all-time favorite games. After everything that’s happened and everything Mike went through, I only hope Deep Silver realizes how important it is for the patch to be finished.

It deeply disgusts me that they promised him a team would work on it, and then it never happened. He spent his last days working on this for free and was not only barely acknowledged, but lied to.

so tom just waisted time and money and derailed all future updates by not just admitting he sucked at coding.

The story of Saints Row really is a modern day tragedy. Mike Watson was the fucking MAN, and the fact that his one dying wish probably won't ever be carried out is awful. The gaming industry really is heartless nowadays.

Actually cried during this. I was so so SOOOO upset that they couldn't even be bothered to actually fix this mess. One man, a small team, they had the gusto to do it but life had other plans. Rest In Peace Mike, Rest in Peace Saints Row.

The fact that Mike Watson STILL dedicated himself to work on the PC patch for Saints Row 2 knowing full well that his minutes of life on Earth were running out is the best example of an individual being so passionate about a game franchise enough to continue his work on his death bed for the community involved. There isn't anybody out there who has this level of dedication to ensure that we can enjoy a game that is as beloved as SR2 is. For that, IdolNinja will always be a fucking warrior. As much as I want to see that patch get finished for it to be released to the public, at the same time, I wouldn't be surprised if Embracer/Deep Silver doesn't bother to invest in it moving forward. It would be a huge disservice to Mike, but then again, when did these companies ever have a heart? Only time will tell. R.I.P. Mike Watson.

I refuse to believe Mike didn't hand the source code to someone in case of his demise. I hope it gets "accidentally" leaked sometime in the future, the man worked too hard on the game for it to end like this. On that note, are you hiding something from us, Flippy?

If a Saints Row 2 remaster comes out it better have either Mike Watson as an honourable character, or in the credits with the title "True Gentleman of the Row".

Saints Row fans CANNOT catch a break

Rest in peace Idol Ninja. I never cared about Saints Row until 2013 ,aka the fall of the series, but after hearing his story it saddeneds me to this day.

Beautifully done.

What a story, this is so heart touching. You can feel Mike's passion for Saints Row 6:19, "it feels like I'm about to wake up from the best dream."

What fucks me up the most about it is that we sadly live in a world where money takes priority over a man's dying wish.

Just like Toys r Us, volition only crime was being collateral for a corporation.

Honestly I completely forgot about volitions closing. This story is so upsetting and I had no idea how bad Mike's condition was when he was sick. So sad a different team can't figure out what one man could accomplish. SR2 is a very special game made by a talented group of people and Mike only makes it that much more special. Thank you Mike, for all the work and dedication you put in for all of us.

This was crushing to watch - I was part of the Something Awful community and frequented the Saints Row thread all the time, Gentlemen of the Row was THE way to play and IdolNinja was a really cool guy and regular poster. Loads of us had purple avatars and fleur-de-lis under our names. This video was how I learned he passed. Rest in peace man, you made my favourite game even better.

It really feels like we all got the bad ending.

Thank you Mike Watson for all that you've done. Rest in Peace, gangsta. 🙏

Mike always put the community first, even when he knew he was running short on time. I can’t imagine being faced with my own mortality, telling it to fuck off, and going back to work on something so many people have dreamed about for years. Life’s not fair, and it’s especially unfair when it takes the coolest fucking people for no good reason. R.I.P. Mike Watson.

Market: We want a SR2 Patch! Volition: Saints Row Reboot with 0 soul. Take it or leave it. Market: We will not buy this game. Volition: How did I go out of business? I just don't get it.

RIP IdolNinja, every time I think of Saints Row, I think of you.

Damn what a ride. I hope people never shut up about this patch because it would be a crime if it never saw the light of day. I fought through the pain of the pc port about 5 or so years ago to experience this amazing game and I've wanted to replay it ever since, but I've never been able to remedy the crashing on my hardware even with community mods. I've followed this patch since it's public announcement and seeing how it was and continues to be a shitshow is deeply saddening. I can't think of a game more deserving of a better port than Saints Row 2. Even past that, it is disgusting to me that Mike Watson never got to see the fruits of his labor. He was more passionate about this game than anybody else.

Flippy, thank you for sticking to your ideals and not signing the NDA. This video has brought to light so much information that the community has deserved for a long time. It was a pleasure to once collaborate with you and godzilla on the saintscast. RIP Mike Watson.

Kind of tragic how a group called Embracer isn't embracing anything at all

As sad as this is, I’m atleast grateful I was able to experience saints row 2 on the Xbox 360… that was truly the peak of gaming.

RIP Idol Ninja, me and him used to be friends on steam and he would let me message him on there and it was so cool of him to dedicate his time to a random saints row fan for a few minutes every day. He truly loved and cared for all of us and was always happy to help and be there for you. Him taking the time to answer my DMs for a couple minutes of his day meant so much to me all those years ago. I’ll never forget it.

I haven't seen any project that had so many worst-case scenarios. It honestly does feel like the Saints 2 patch was sabatoged.

A man who opted for surgery so he could live longer (despite having adverse effects on him) just to have more time to finish his work is truly the epitome of love and dedication. That man deserved a much better fate. Saints Row will always house an amazing community thanks to people like Mike. Reading this comment section, I'm so glad to be part of this fandom. I hope nothing but good things come your way, everyone :)

Corporate greed will continue to ruin everything in our lifes

Really gonna miss Saints Row & Volition. Huge part of my childhood, it’s sad to see it go out like this. I may not have enjoyed later Volition games like SR4 & AoM but I always hoped they’d succeed because of how passionate they all were. The Volition streams with Mike, Alex & Chip were awesome. Rest in Peace Mike Watson⚜️

Reminds me of the L4D2 “””community””” update, just a bunch of people who didn’t care about the game at all, only wanted their names and mods attached to the game, so longstanding bugs and issues were all ignored and we received nothing but arbitrary changes to the game. Sounds like the Saints Row community was very, very lucky to have Mike, even if things haven’t worked out as you all would have liked... yet - hopefully things might still work out for the best though.

You might not read this bro, but I admire you so much, I can tell how painful those times might have been for you, how much the series mean to you and how close you were to accomplish something greater than all of us could have even imagined. Been watching your videos since I was a kid, SR will always have a special place for me, I'm glad you are not quitting and I'm glad and thankful that you shared this story with us, ur a great guy Flip, so seemed to be Mike, he would be proud of you and the community that I have also had the pleasure to witness grow, never stop bro, I thank you for your dedication to the series I love

rest in peace idol ninja hurts to see he was one of the only people who actually cared about the fans and was super hard working and dedicated

Back in the day while playing sr4 I had an issue were an ability (tornado I think) prevented you from completing some activities. Went to SR forum looking for help, and Mike not only told me what mod to use to fix this, he also was patient enough to tell me how to install it properly. This man was a paragon of passion, charisma and hard work, I think we all can agree he made this community better, and he will always be missed.

What a sad situation. But respect to Mike Watson for willing to sticking to it until the end. Thats gangsta. RIP Saints Row. Rest Easy Mike Watson.

2024 and STILL my favorite game of all time. Can't believe how I never tire of it after all these years. Watch Dogs 2 is the closest thing to this timeless masterpiece in terms of open world free play and both games STILL give me endless pleasure 😍

this is legit one of the most tragic stories in gaming I've ever heard, with all the videos that you and other were talking about this patch, it's absolutely heartbreaking to see that it end like this. I'm not really familiar with the Saints Row series, I've only played The Third and IV game, but I've always wanna play the first and second game (I tried playing SR2 on pc before, it's not really going well obviously) when I heard that there's gonna be a new patch for SR2, I was excited. I really wanna play this game. but we all know what happens. and also the fact that Mike was literally working on this project until the day he was gone, with all the pain he has to go through. if it wasn't for Mike and the community this wouldn't even be bring up at all in the first place, and it's just all gone to nothing. I honestly don't know what to even say anymore, but I would love to thank you, Mike, and all the other community member that keep this dream project going on as long as it could, maybe it's meaningless coming from an outsider like me, but I really mean it. let's hope that we're all gonna have a better day than this.

They should release the Source Code Publicly, Someone needs to a long with the latest test build i am sure theres some modder who would pick up the work just need the community fixing whst they can

I am surprised to learn that Minimaul was the one who fked us over with the patch and possibly with sr1pc project too. And i was the one who keep telling everyone that he needs to be the community manager after Mike. Damn man

In an alternate universe, we have the patch, an SR1 port for PC and Michael is healthy, proud and treated as a hero amongst gang bangers the world over.

I take this story quite personally, because I had a cousin who brought me into the Saints Row franchise when I was younger. Like about 6 or 7. And it was a blast to play the game and hangout with him. Not only that he would be sure to let me play Saint Row 2 when it came out. He’s really the inspiration to me for gaming and he had such an influence in my life to be a good person. Unfortunately he passed away early in his life and I never got to share that Saints Row 3 experience with him. Whenever I play 1 or 2 I always remember being in his room playing late night until morning. Or looking up early KZfaq videos about game secrets. It just makes me sad hearing about this story now and feeling some connection to my early childhood with a cousin I’d always visit every weekend to play games or box with.

CD Projekt also did the port of Split/Second to PC. They didn't learn jack shit from the experience with the PC port of SR2, as they somehow managed to make the game worse on PC, even with a game breaking save corruption glitch that was never patched.

God this is so fucking sad. This whole game franchise and channel, but the whole story of this fucking pilar of the community, hope some day this game gets the justice deserves. Rest in peace Mike.

RIP Mike. And thank you Flippy for sharing all of this. Instead of being hopeful for the patch, I just learned to appreciate what we got.

This just made me miss Mike more. He was not only the best community manager for SR, but the best community manager for any studio. His legacy needs finished. We need this patch for him

Remember those comments from people saying flippy was lying & didn't know anything about what he was talking about with the patch? 😂

Algorithm. R.I.P Mike

Fuuuuuck, that sucks. That really sucks. Poor Mike. Hopefully, one day, Deep Silver will get the patch made. Chances are slim, but I can see a trailer for Saint's Row 2: Unf*cked Edition come out one day dedicated to Mike. How lovely would that be?

Man, it really makes you wonder how the series would've ended up if literally anyone but Deep Silver/Embracer Group owned the IP. It's just a tragic state of affairs all around and even now, it would be nice for the patch to still be worked on. If not for Mike Watson then only because it would be the only way for Deep Silver to rebuild fan trust and get them remotely interested in future SR games.

Hey, Flippy. I talked shit to you years ago because I had liked SR3. I'm sorry, you were right about where the series was going and I was wrong. I recently played it again after years of not having played it and yeah... It's not good. Can it be fun? I think, yeah, but it's still not better than SR2 or other games I have played. I was a teenager when I talked that shit to you. It was hard for me to accept that Volition's days were numbered. Honestly, I wish Volition did more with their older IPs. Like Red Faction and Summoner. Very good video by the way. Rest in peace, Mike Watson and Volition.

I feel like its pathetic that the gaming industry so badly needs shiny new everything (engines, graphics) when the bones and consistency of their games is what makes them so game-like and so unabashedly unique. The SR2 reboot/remaster should have happened much earlier on as that was what caused the hype and thus sales for SR3, not SR3 itself. Volition/DS could have made their money back if not profited by not rebooting the franchise (and alienating everyone in the process) and focused on re-releasing (Remastering) their greatest assets, SR1 and 2. Multiplayer co-op would be booming right now if they had.

Idolninja is rolling in his grave. Those incompetent clowns couldnt even keep one promise.

AJ said to support this video, also Flippy I used to use your tutorials and stuff back in the day., this video really almost made me cry :( RIP Mike we all love you :(

This video make you realise on how much this franchise suffered from a lot of bad decisions, and sometimes bad luck. It's tragic because we all know Saints Row 2 is far better than a lot of GTA games, Saints Row franchise could have been so much more.

Mike watson sounds like an absolute blessing, and Im sorry for your loss. I hope this blows up, and they realize completing this over all their other projects might buy whoever does it so much good will with the gaming community at large, that they might benefit. Idk. Thank you for sharing this story

Me just 20 minutes ago: "Oh, just a fun Saints Row video! Let's check it out" Me right now: 😭😭😭😭

RIP IdolNinja, I wish things could have been different for Saints Row

There is still a small chance that the community can fix it. Reverse engineering is an option and if any of those play test builds contained .pdb files then it would make that process easier.

Thank you. not just for this video, but for sticking around as long as you have, I have countless channels i'm subscribed to that have all gone dark over the years. Its always good to hear from you Flippy

You know that episode of SpongeBob where his eyes get all big and he starts crying and runs away? That’s us rn

This video was just salt in the wound. I pray some random company picks the franchise up just to release the SR2 patch. RIP Mike Watson, you made Saints Row special.

RIP Mike Watson We Truly lost a legend

A SR1 port to PC would’ve been fucking amazing. Thank you all for everything that you’ve done for this community ⚜️

Just an all-around shitshow this all was. Mike Watson really tried to make the best of a fucked up situation. He really loved this game and its fans, and the fact that it might end like this... No. I can't accept this. Mike was working on the patch on his deathbed. He knew he was dying, and he still worked on the patch because he believed that it would one day get released. We as Saints Row fans need to make sure this patch gets released, and gets enjoyed for generations to come. And hell, while we're at it, get the SR1 PC port done. Get SR1 and 2 remastered and ported to the newer systems. Do it all for Mike. He was, is, and always will be a legend

Mike got absolutely fucked over. Such bullshit bro, he didn't deserve this shit. So unfair

I'm gonna miss how much of a family the community felt like back when Idol was first staring GOTR. Saints row has brought so many good memories to my life I hope some day we get to see this patch. RIP MIKE 🖤🖤🖤

Watching flippy videos is just bitter sweet at this point knowing what could've been with the series. Thank you and everyone who worked so hard on keeping our favorite games alive. Rest easy Mike, you earned it.

It's really sad to see what happens to Saints Row, 2's story was so amazing. 3's gameplay is so much fun, especially with your friends. RIP Saints Row, they deserve better

The real 3rd Street Saints were the friends we made along the way

Rest in peace idol ninja. His dedication to the community and his passion towards the games will forever live on. as for the rest of this video... I don't even know what to say... Mike was such a great man in such a difficult situation, hearing about the beyond troubled history is a testament to Mike's dedication and to deep silvers incompetence. If deep silver has a shred of credibility left in the soul they claim to have, they should push for making this patch regardless of finances... Easier said then done I know, but how about making an investment in community trust? an investment in some serious fan service? Or maybe just to honor a legend. It's time for deep silver to understand they own an IP with a rich and crazy history and it's up to them to carry on the torch... Whether they like it or not.... Watching the video it was genuinely gut wrenching hearing the passion one man had and for it to be stagnated and pushed to the side by others... Heart breaking honestly... I think knowing all the facts and seeing this video... I can't rightfully say I would feel comfortable buying anything else deep silver make until this patch is out there... not until this wrong is righted... as for Mike man... kills me that I never got to meet him... He sounded so fucking awesome and his impression on the community might just be bigger then some of the games themselves.... Rest in peace

Outsider to the community here - really appreciate you making this and sharing Mike's story. He's an absolute inspiration. And it's good to be reminded that despite all the corporate greed that is associated with gaming nowadays that there were people that are still so passionate and cared, even if it was ultimately sabotaged.

Don’t leave us again!

Make a studio. Crowd fund the fix. I refuse to believe this isn't possible. Something can be done if people pull together.

RIP IdolNinja. I'll never forgive Volition for not fulfilling his last will.

Now imagine if the people in charge of the original PC Port for SR2 had just done their job properly, imagine if this patch wasn't even necessary, all of this tragedy and heartbreak wouldnt have ever happened This is why it's so important to do our jobs properly, there are consequences to disregarding the quality of our work, our failures can lead to people in the future being screwed like this, if the original port team had simply just cared enough: this disaster wouldn't have happened R.I.P Mike

flippy goes above and beyond for their scripts love all the details in vids like these

SAINTS ROW 2: UNFUCKED EDITION IS LITERALLY SO SR2 I JUST CAME

So tragic on so many levels. Mike got soo close. May he rest in peace. Thanks for sharing Flippy. I know that you found some healing and reconciliation for yourself in making this video.

Mike deserves to be remembered as a hero in the gaming industry. This man is absolutely legendary. I never knew any of this was going on, the only info I knew was watching your channel, Flippy. Been subscribed for years. R.I.P. Mike W.

Crying right now no bs. I love people like Mike. Pure dedication and love. What a guy! I had grown up with this game series. Very interesting seeing the ins and outs of everything. I hope for some closure on this soon. Thanks for sharing Flippy.

Yup, I cried. Mike was a inspiration to me to. I will NEVER give up on SR!!!!!! Thank you Flippy for the video.....NEVER LOSE FAITH!!!!!

I always think of Mike when I play Saints Row 2 now. I grew up playing the first game and SR2, and I have such deep feelings for it that are way past nostalgia, and it was such a formative time in my life. Saints Row 2 runs great on my Steam Deck, and with Gentlemen of the Row I get to see "IdolNinja" every time I play. It's one of the only games that really makes me feel like a kid again. I have such a love for Mike Watson, even though I never met the guy. You could really feel the love for not only the game but also for the community and you can still feel it now. Great video man, nice one.

This video genuinely brought me to tears As a huge fan of Saints Row from day 1 and a fan of Idol Ninja since not longer after the first release of Gentlemen of the Row It saddens me that someone with such selfless intentions was dealt such a bad hand in the end, but his dedication and commitment to not only Saints Row but the gaming community in general are a true inspiration, if only all game developers had the same level of passion and commitment for their projects I've recently started learning game development myself and will find a way to do a fitting tribute in a future project, Mike deserves all the respect in the world RIP Mike

May Mike continue to rest in peace and light. In the name of the Father son and holy spirit Amen. Godspeed you literal Saint. I and others may not have known you till now. But for what you did for the series, for all of us regardless of platform. Despite of everything. Thank you.

After hearing all of the tragedy, I'm so happy to hear flippy continues making videos.

The saddest part about all of this, is the obvious, Volition for all the hate they have received over the years, has never once been the perpetrators behind the problems we as a community have had. They’ve been just as much a victim as anyone else, if not more so. Mike would have wanted us to know that, know that Volition does care even if they don’t show it often. They’ve always been at the beck and call of their corporate masters regardless of their own, well, volition in the matter. Whether it be THQ, Deep Silver, or Embracer Group, Volition was never once fully in charge of their destiny nor their own creative process. As much as it might hurt knowing all the work Mike put in could potentially go to waste, let’s not let the work he did for the community at large go to waste. Without his voice in the company, we need to speak louder for them to hear us. Let them know it’s worth it, let them know we still care, and they should too. It’s going to be a while until we see results, if we ever do. But we have a better chance at seeing them if we work together than we do without doing so. This isn’t about SR2 anymore, this is about giving the community an opportunity to give back to Mike. He wanted this for us, now let’s get this done for him! He worked until he couldn’t anymore, the least we can do is ensure that all his efforts bare fruit! Thank you for this Flippy, many people didn’t know about all of this, though some of us have been following this close enough that most of this isn’t really new information. Hopefully we can see this through, without Volition being around anymore, who can say?

Man, all my homies hate minimaul.

love you flippy, so sorry for your loss idolninja really seemed like a genuinely kind and passionate soul its a shame how its always the coolest ppl that go first always glad to see u upload hope ur doin okay

Saints Row 2 has always been my happy game. It's my favorite game of all time. I'm not a PC gamer, but to know someone devoted such a strong portion of their life to the very end... Man that makes SR2 mean so much more. #ThankYouIdolNinja

Amazing. This is a beautful tribute and memorial piece. You not only informed people out of the know, but gave character to someone who seemed like one of the nicest people to have ever lived. Kudos Flippy.

I appreciate the closure, but it does feel sad. Even if we shouldn't feel sad, it still drags on. Thank you Flippy for making this and raising awareness.

Thank you Flippy for making this video. Idolninja's fate really brought tears into my eyes. I never knew about Minimaul's betrayal or any of the backstage bullshit he had to endure on top of his sickness. He was one of the best, a real positive force in the community. Rest in peace Mike.