The company grew to eight employees while developing its first game, the first-person spaceship shooter Descent (1995), which was released to widespread acclaim.
Volition brainstormed ideas for a new project, and decided to make an open world action-adventure "gang simulator", Saints Row (2006), as the Grand Theft Auto franchise was the only major series in the genre.
THQ was hesitant about the idea, but Volition convinced them that the humorous tone of the game would offset the subject matter.
Both series were followed by another installment in 2011, Saints Row: The Third and Red Faction: Armageddon, and a horror game project, Insane, was announced in 2010 as the first in a trilogy.
In June 2023, Embracer, following the collapse of a multi-billion dollar deal, announced wide-ranging plans to restructure the company that would include studio closures and staff layoffs; Volition was shut down on August 31, 2023.