Saber Interactive has made a remarkable series of strides over the last few years, yet the most headline‑grabbing moment recently came when CEO Matthew Karch bluntly addressed rumors that a writer had been swapped out for ChatGPT. When we met Tim Willits, the studio’s chief creative officer, at Gamescom for the second of two sit‑downs, his first question was about that very claim. "That was just Matt being sarcastic," Willits laughed. "The bottom line is we have never replaced a human writer with AI – that would be insane.
None of the narrative work on Space Marine, Hellraiser, Stuntman or any of our other titles has been generated by a machine." He added that the team is still experimenting with generative AI in limited contexts because the industry is still figuring out where the technology can add real value. "In our experimental title Rideshare Simulator we have an ‘AI mode’ that lets us test the limits, but everything else – the main story beats, side quests, even the dialogue – was crafted by people." Willits believes that a breakthrough moment is coming when a developer discovers a truly clever, game‑changing application for modern AI. At that point, the rest of the industry will say, "That’s it – this is how AI belongs in games." Until then, he likens AI to any new tool that initially confuses people: "When a technology first appears, everyone asks, ‘What can we do with this? How does it work?’ Over time we discover the everyday uses and it becomes part of the workflow." Saber does not currently use generative AI for core production pipelines such as code, level design, or texture creation.
Still, Willits sees personal benefits. He confessed that he has always wished he could draw, believing it would make him a stronger designer.
"If I have a vision in my head and need a quick way to get it onto the screen, AI‑assisted sketching could be a useful bridge," he said. Looking ahead, he expects AI to feature more prominently in upcoming releases.
"By next year’s Gamescom we’ll probably have a larger title that leans on AI in a meaningful way. I’m curious to see how our players react to the AI‑driven features in Rideshare, and whether it will become a staple of our design toolbox." Saber’s corporate story also took a dramatic turn in 2024 when it separated from Embracer Group.
Willits described the split as "very easy" and noted that the studio remains a substantial operation with roughly 3,500 staff spread across 15 studios in locations such as Serbia, Armenia, Georgia, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Argentina and Australia. "Now that we have a studio in Australia, the sun never really sets on Saber," he quipped. Curiously, North America no longer appears on that map.
"We have essentially no development work happening in North America any longer," Willits explained, even though the company’s corporate headquarters stay in Florida and a publishing team remains U.S.‑based. This mirrors a broader industry trend, which Amir Satvat of ASGC summed up as a migration of headcount from North America to virtually anywhere else. Saber embraces this global approach wholeheartedly. "We’re not scared of any region.
Some publishers hesitate to work in markets they don’t understand, but we say, ‘Let’s go, find talented people, give them the tools they need, and make something great.’ You don’t need to be in California to be a brilliant programmer, artist or animator." Willits sees his role as keeping the massive, distributed operation humming smoothly. "I make sure teams have what they need, keep focus on the priorities, and prevent scope from spiralling out of control," he said. He also warned against the old‑fashioned model of publishers putting all their eggs in a single basket with siloed teams.
Saber, by contrast, spreads its eggs across many baskets and can reassign resources between projects as market conditions dictate. The studio balances blockbuster‑scale projects with reliable, revenue‑generating work. Upcoming tentpoles include Stuntman: Hollywood, a John Wick title, Turok: Origins and Jurassic Park: Survival. Those sit alongside what Willits calls the "bread‑and‑butter" line‑up – remasters of the original Hitman trilogy, Tomb Raider, Crysis and Halo – which provide predictable cash flow.
"These are steady, consistent jobs that keep the lights on," he noted. Smaller, experimental titles also have a place. "Docked, Bus Bound and Rideshare are the kind of projects where we know the budget, we can forecast the revenue, and we can allocate talent flexibly," Willits explained. The studio’s culture encourages developers to hop between games, preventing anyone from feeling locked into a single title.
When a project needs a burst of manpower, resources can be pulled from anywhere in the world. Willits revealed that Saber is exploring a "movie‑style" external development model.
The idea is to partner with a compact group of elite creators – perhaps 18‑20 top‑tier developers in the United States – who bring vision and creativity, while Saber supplies the broader production capacity. This avoids the costly scenario of maintaining a large, idle team in California waiting for concept art to finish. In the current publishing landscape, many companies either back tiny indie projects or pour massive budgets into evergreen franchises, leaving a "lost middle" of mid‑scale AA titles.
Saber positions itself squarely in that middle. "We’re strong advocates of AA games," Willits said, though he admitted the definition is fuzzy. "World War Z was called AA, yet it attracted 32 million players – is that really AA?
Probably the budget line defines it more than the player count." He argues that spreading bets across several moderate‑budget games is healthier than relying on a single blockbuster. "If you need a home run every quarter, you’ll burn out. With a slate of games you can afford a few misses while still coming out ahead.
The film industry has done this for decades with slate financing, and we’re seeing it catch on in games." Key to that strategy is tight budget discipline. "You have to keep each project in scope and focus on what truly matters," Willits emphasized.
He illustrated the point with a personal anecdote: "Sometimes I play a game and I can literally see money pouring out of the monitor. The development cost for Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine 2 was only about a third of a recent big‑budget North‑American title, yet it sold 11 million more copies. You don’t need a $150 million budget to hit a billion‑dollar revenue." He compared the economics of large studios in the United States, which can burn $2 million or more per month. By contrast, Saber’s SnowRunner – a game that generated hundreds of millions in revenue – cost roughly $6 million to develop, equivalent to just three months of a typical California studio’s payroll.
"If a big studio spends five years on a game, that’s $120 million in salaries alone, not counting marketing and publishing costs, which can push the total to $150 million," Willits warned. "You then need to sell an enormous volume just to break even." Beyond cost efficiency, Saber has cultivated strong relationships with major IP holders. "We’ve worked with Universal, Paramount, Lionsgate and Disney without being tied to any single franchise," Willits said. World War Z, loosely based on the 2006 novel and 2013 film, became a standout success – "I think more people played the game than saw the movie." When selecting a property, the first criterion is genuine love for the IP.
"If we don’t love it, we can’t make a good game," he asserted. The team also conducts extensive fan research, using A/B testing and focus groups to gauge what audiences expect. Willits recounted a missed opportunity: an IP holder wanted a game set in a different era than fans desired, so Saber declined and the project stalled.
At Summer Game Fest, Saber announced a partnership with Universal on Stuntman: Hollywood, a title that blends influences from Back to the Future, Fast & Furious and Jurassic World. Willits explained that recognizable IP serves two purposes: it taps nostalgia for older gamers while providing an accessible entry point for casual players who might not be hardcore gamers. The upcoming John Wick game emerged from an earlier collaboration with Lionsgate on Evil Dead: The Game.
"They saw that we respected their property, so when they needed a studio for John Wick they came to us," Willits said. He believes that being a reliable partner opens doors across the entertainment industry, as studios increasingly view games as a vital way to engage their fan bases. Saber also works on non‑film IP. Willits praised IO Interactive for the upcoming Hitman Classic Trilogy Remastered, noting that both companies contribute ideas to improve the original titles without compromising the franchise’s integrity.
Similar collaboration occurred on the Tomb Raider remasters, where subtle enhancements were made based on fan feedback. Internally, Saber nurtures original concepts as well. MudRunner, born from a single employee’s idea, exemplifies the studio’s encouragement of prototype development.
That modest project evolved into SnowRunner, which then spun off into Expeditions, RoadCraft and even the Road Kings technology suite. "If a small team of twelve can create something cool, we’ll back it," Willits said.
The overarching theme is flexibility and a culture that lets creators pursue the projects that excite them. "Making video games is the best job in the world – if someone has a great idea, we want to hear it," he concluded. Finally, Willits called for greater discipline across the industry.
"Developers need to be smart, focus on the essentials, and understand that great games can be built with lean teams. Build a culture where people can contribute to multiple titles, avoid siloed thinking, and you’ll create a sustainable, innovative ecosystem."