Saber Interactive has made a remarkable stride in recent years, yet the most headline‑grabbing story emerged when CEO Matthew Karch bluntly dismissed 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 interviews, that incident was the first thing we asked him about. "That was just Matt’s sarcasm, nothing more," Willits laughed. "The bottom line is we have never replaced a human writer with AI.
That would be absurd. 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 Saber is still probing the possibilities of generative AI, but only in a controlled, experimental capacity. "We’re testing it in our Rideshare Simulator with an ‘AI mode’ to see where the technology might add value.
All of the main story beats, side quests and dialogue were still penned by people. The AI experiments are isolated, and we’re watching the industry to understand where it will actually become useful." Willits believes a breakthrough use‑case for true AI integration will eventually emerge, saying, "When someone finally cracks a clever, practical application, everyone will say, ‘That’s it.’ Until then, AI is like any new tool in history – people wonder what to do with it, then gradually discover where it fits into daily workflows." He clarified that Saber does not rely on generative AI for core production pipelines such as code generation, level design, texture creation, or asset placement. Still, he sees personal benefits.
"I’ve always wanted to be able to draw. I feel that if I could quickly visualise an idea on paper, I’d be a stronger designer. AI that can turn a mental image into a rough sketch could be a useful bridge for people like me." Looking ahead, Willits is optimistic. "By next year’s Gamescom we’ll likely have bigger projects that showcase AI‑driven features.
I’m curious to see how our Rideshare experiment is received and whether it will inform future titles. It’s a fascinating experiment." In 2024 Saber split from its former parent Embracer in what Willits described as "a very smooth transition." The company now employs roughly 3,500 staff across fifteen studios located in Serbia, Armenia, Georgia, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Argentina, and Australia.
"We even launched a studio in Australia, so the sun no longer sets on Saber development," he noted with a grin. Notably, North America no longer appears on that list. "We have essentially no development teams on the continent anymore," Willits explained, although the corporate headquarters remain in Florida and a publishing office stays in the United States.
This mirrors a broader industry trend that Amir Satvat of ASGC described as "headcount moving from North America to everywhere else." Saber embraces this global dispersion. "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 create great games.’ You don’t need to be in California to be a brilliant programmer, artist or animator." Willits sees his role as the glue that holds the distributed operation together.
"My job is to make sure each team has what they need, keep focus on the priorities, and prevent scope from spiralling out of control." He also warned against the old‑fashioned model of publishers that put all their resources into a single siloed project. "Saber spreads its eggs across many baskets. We can shift teams between projects when the need arises, which gives us far more flexibility than a single‑project approach." The studio’s pipeline includes several high‑profile tentpoles – upcoming titles such as Stuntman: Hollywood, a John Wick game, Turok: Origins and Jurassic Park: Survival – alongside what Willits calls the "bread‑and‑butter" work. This includes the remaster of the original Hitman trilogy, following similar updates to Tomb Raider, Crysis and Halo.
"Those are predictable, steady revenue streams that keep the lights on," he said. Smaller, more experimental bets also have a place.
Projects like Docked, Bus Bound and the Rideshare game are low‑risk, with clear budgets and revenue expectations. "Because we can allocate resources globally, no one feels locked onto a single title, and we can pull talent from anywhere when a game needs a push." Willits revealed that Saber is exploring a Hollywood‑style external development model. "We’re talking to a tight group of 18‑20 top‑tier developers in the US who could bring creative vision, while we provide the production muscle. Instead of maintaining a massive staff in California waiting on concept art, we can keep a lean core and scale up with specialists as needed." The publishing landscape has split into two extremes: tiny indie budgets or massive evergreen franchises, leaving a "lost middle" that few firms serve.
Saber aims to fill that gap. "We’re big advocates of AA games – though the definition is fuzzy.
Some call World War Z AA, but with 32 million players it feels more like a AAA title. Budget is probably the best metric." Willits argues that betting on a handful of gigantic titles is risky.
"If you need a home run every single time, you’ll eventually miss. A diversified slate lets you spread risk, similar to slate financing in the film industry – invest in four or five games, expect three hits, one miss, and overall the portfolio stays healthy." The key, he stresses, is keeping individual project budgets in check. "Scope creep is the enemy. You have to focus on what truly matters." He illustrated his point with a personal anecdote: "Sometimes I play a game and I can literally see money being wasted – dollars falling off the monitor.
For example, the development cost for Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine 2 was about a third of what a major North‑American studio spent on a comparable title released a few months later, yet Space Marine 2 sold 11 million more copies. You don’t need a $150 million budget to make a billion‑dollar franchise." Saber’s lean approach shines when you compare costs. "Big North‑American studios burn roughly $2 million per month.
SnowRunner, which generated hundreds of millions, cost us only $6 million – essentially three months of a California‑style payroll. If a large studio takes five years, that’s $120 million in salaries alone, not counting marketing and publishing, which can push total spend past $150 million. Yet the net return per game may be only $25 million after deductions. The math just doesn’t work without massive volume." When it comes to intellectual property, Saber is unapologetically opportunistic.
"We’ve worked with Universal, Paramount, Lionsgate, Disney – we’re agnostic about the IP holder as long as we love the property and understand what fans want. World War Z, based loosely on the novel and Brad Pitt film, ended up attracting more players than the movie itself." Choosing the right franchise, according to Willits, starts with passion. "If we love the IP, we can better gauge fan expectations. Turning Hellraiser into a roguelike would be a disaster because it wouldn’t match what fans anticipate.
We rely heavily on A/B testing and focus groups to validate those assumptions." Not every pitch succeeds. He recounted a large IP holder that wanted a game set in a different era than fans preferred. Saber pushed back, and the collaboration fell through. "If the rights holder isn’t listening to the audience, the project won’t work." At Summer Game Fest Saber announced a partnership with Universal on Stuntman: Hollywood, a title that draws inspiration from Back to the Future, Fast and Furious and Jurassic World.
Willits explained that recognizable IP serves two purposes: it taps nostalgia for older gamers while providing an entry point for casual players who might not be hardcore gamers. The upcoming John Wick game came about because Saber had previously delivered Evil Dead: The Game for Lionsgate. "They saw that we respected their property, so when they needed a partner for John Wick, they reached out.
Being a good partner opens doors – every major studio wants video games because that’s where the audience lives." Saber also handles classic game IP. Willits praised IO Interactive for collaborating on the Hitman Classic Trilogy Remastered.
"Both sides bring ideas – we don’t just lift and shift an old game; we improve where we can without alienating the fanbase. The same goes for the Tomb Raider remasters – we add subtle enhancements that make sense for the experience." Beyond licensed titles, Saber nurtures its own creations. MudRunner began as a single developer’s concept and grew into SnowRunner, which spawned expansions like Expeditions and RoadCraft, as well as proprietary Road Kings technology.
"Our culture encourages anyone with a cool prototype to pursue it. We can take a 12‑person team from idea to launch if the concept is strong." Willits summed up the studio’s philosophy: flexibility, passion and disciplined execution. "Making games is the best job in the world. If someone has an exciting idea, we want to hear it.
At the same time, developers must stay smart, focus on core priorities, and avoid siloed thinking. You can build a great experience with a small, focused team if you keep the scope realistic and the culture collaborative."