Tim Willins, the chief creative officer of Saber Interactive, recently disclosed that the company essentially lacks a substantial development presence on the North American continent. While Saber still maintains its corporate headquarters and a publishing division within the United States, the actual creation of games now takes place across a network of fifteen studios scattered around the globe. These studios are located in a diverse set of nations, including Serbia, Armenia, Georgia, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Argentina and Australia, each contributing to Saber’s portfolio of titles. Prior to its spin‑off from Embracer Group in 2024, Saber Interactive oversaw several well‑known North American subsidiaries: Aspyr in Texas, Demiurge Studios in Boston, Tripwire Interactive in the state of Georgia, and Shiver Entertainment in Florida.
When the separation occurred, Aspyr, Demiurge and Tripwire remained under Embracer’s ownership, while Shiver was sold to Nintendo in May 2024. Another Embracer‑affiliated studio, Beamdog in Canada, also stayed with the parent group. Saber does, however, retain ownership of New World Interactive, a developer with offices in Denver, Colorado and Calgary, Alberta.
New World is best known for the 2018 tactical shooter "Insurgency: Sandstorm," which received a significant content update in May of this year. The studio endured a round of layoffs in 2023 as Saber prepared for its eventual split from Embracer, but it continues to operate under the Saber umbrella. In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Willins stressed that modern game companies must be "smart about where you make your game." He explained that Saber is open to establishing development teams in any region that offers talent and the right infrastructure.
"We are not afraid of any territories. Some publishers shy away from markets they don’t fully understand, but we say, ‘let’s go, let’s find skilled people, give them the tools they need, and create something amazing.’ You don’t have to be based in California to be a brilliant programmer, artist, or animator," he said. Willins also took the opportunity to critique the tendency of large‑budget projects to waste resources.
He recounted watching a recent, unnamed blockbuster and being able to visualize money literally "falling out of the monitor" due to inefficient spending. He contrasted that with the development cost of "Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2," which, according to Willins, cost roughly one‑third of what a major North American studio spent on a comparable title released only a few months earlier, yet it sold 11 million more copies.
"You don’t need to spend $150 million to make a billion‑dollar hit," he asserted. The chief creative officer broke down the numbers further, noting that many big North American development houses burn through more than $2 million per month in salaries alone. By comparison, Saber’s own "SnowRunner"—a game that has generated hundreds of millions in revenue—cost the company about $6 million to develop, which equates to roughly three months of work at a typical California studio rate. "If a large studio takes five years to finish a game, that’s 60 months and about $120 million just in payroll," Willins explained.
Adding marketing, publishing, and other ancillary expenses can easily push the total budget beyond $150 million, while the profit margin per unit sold may only be around $25. "The math just doesn’t add up—you have to sell an enormous volume just to break even, and that’s the core problem," he concluded. Willins’ comments reflect a broader industry shift toward distributed development models that leverage lower‑cost talent pools without sacrificing quality. By positioning studios in locations such as Serbia, Armenia and Argentina, Saber can tap into skilled workforces that command lower salaries than their West‑coast counterparts, while still accessing the same technology stacks, engine tools and collaborative platforms that power modern AAA titles.
This approach also mitigates risk; if a single studio encounters difficulties, the impact on the overall pipeline is less catastrophic than when a company relies on one monolithic development hub. The strategic realignment also aligns with changing consumer expectations. Players increasingly demand frequent updates, live‑service support, and post‑launch content, all of which require agile, cross‑regional teams that can operate around the clock. By spreading development across time zones, Saber can maintain a near‑continuous workflow, delivering patches and new features more quickly than a single‑site operation could.
In addition to cost efficiencies, the global studio model fosters cultural diversity in game design. Teams based in Europe, South America and Oceania bring distinct perspectives on storytelling, art direction and gameplay mechanics, potentially leading to more innovative and globally resonant experiences. Willins believes this diversity is a competitive advantage: "When you bring together different viewpoints, you get fresh ideas that can set a game apart in a crowded market." While Saber’s North American development footprint has shrunk, the company remains committed to supporting its U.S.
publishing arm and maintaining a strong presence in the region’s business ecosystem. The publishing team continues to handle marketing, distribution, and partnership negotiations for Saber’s titles, ensuring that the company’s products reach a broad audience across consoles, PC and emerging platforms. Overall, Tim Willins’ interview paints a picture of a company that is deliberately moving away from the traditional, high‑cost, single‑location development paradigm.
By embracing a distributed, talent‑first strategy, Saber Interactive aims to produce high‑quality games more efficiently, reduce wasteful spending, and stay competitive in an industry where the economics of game creation are under increasing scrutiny. The full interview with GamesIndustry.biz provides additional context and detail on Saber’s evolving global strategy.