Agents of Mayhem

Lore & Background

Agents of Mayhem is set in a futuristic version of Seoul, South Korea, described as 'the city of tomorrow'. The game exists in a multiverse alongside Volition's Saints Row and Red Faction series, taking place after the 'recreate Earth' ending of the Saints Row IV expansion Gat out of Hell. The story centers on two organizations: M.A.Y.H.E.M. (Multinational AgencY Hunting Evil Masterminds), funded by the Ultor Corporation and bearing the Saints' purple fleur-de-lis logo, and L.E.G.I.O.N. (League of Evil Gentlemen Intent on Obliterating Nations). L.E.G.I.O.N. launches a worldwide attack called 'Devil's Night', and Persephone Brimstone, the L.E.G.I.O.N. Minister of Gluttony, defects after learning the Morningstar plans to harvest Dark Matter to alter reality. She forms M.A.Y.H.E.M. and recruits agents to stop L.E.G.I.O.N.

The game features fifteen playable agents, each with unique playstyles and abilities. Players select three agents to form a squad, switching between them freely during missions. Agents include Braddock, Daisy, Fortune, Hardtack, Hollywood, Joule, Kingpin (an alias of Pierce Washington), Oni, Rama, Red Card, Scheherazade, and Yeti (an alias of Oleg Kirrlov). Three additional agents—Gat, Lazarus, and Safeword (an alias of Kinzie Kensington)—are available via downloadable content. The plot follows M.A.Y.H.E.M.'s efforts to stop Dr. Babylon and L.E.G.I.O.N. from harvesting a dark matter crystal, culminating in a battle where the agents destroy the crystal and reality is restored.

Reader's Guide

Agents of Mayhem represents Volition's attempt to expand the Saints Row universe into a character-focused, single-player action-adventure game. Development began after Saints Row IV in 2013, inspired by 1980s action cartoons like G.I. Joe and He-Man, as well as games like League of Legends and Dota 2. The game's multiple playable characters were a deliberate shift from the single-protagonist model of previous Saints Row titles, based on fan interest in supporting characters. Despite its commercial disappointment—selling only 300,000 units by February 2018 and leading to layoffs at Volition—the game's open-world Seoul setting, fast movement with triple-jumping and vehicles, and agent-switching combat system offered a distinct take on the action-adventure genre. Its mixed critical reception highlighted strong humor and character design but noted repetitiveness. The game's integration of Saints Row and Red Faction lore, including crossovers like Pierce Washington and Kinzie Kensington, ties it into a broader narrative multiverse, though its commercial underperformance limited its long-term impact.

Did You Know?

• The game sold 300,000 units by February 2018 and was a commercial disappointment, leading to layoffs at Volition.
• Agents of Mayhem takes place in a parallel universe to the Saints Row series, after the 'recreate Earth' ending of Gat out of Hell.
• The game features 15 playable agents, including three DLC characters: Gat, Lazarus, and Safeword.