Saber Interactive has made significant strides in recent years, yet the most headline‑grabbing story came when CEO Matthew Karch bluntly responded to 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 rumor was the first thing we asked him about. "That was just Matt being sarcastic," Willits laughed.
"The bottom line is we have never replaced a person with AI – that would be insane. We don’t use generative AI for Space Marine, Hellraiser, Stuntman or any of our other titles." He added that Saber is still experimenting with the technology because the industry has yet to discover where AI can add genuine value. "In our Rideshare Simulator we have an AI‑mode we’re testing.
All the narrative content – the main story, side quests, everything – was written by humans. We’re just probing the edges to see what sticks." Willits believes that eventually a developer will discover a truly clever use case for modern AI, and the rest of the industry will follow suit.
"When a breakthrough happens, everyone will say, ‘That’s the way it should be done.’ Until then it’s the same pattern we’ve seen with every new tech – people ask, ‘What can we do with this? How does it fit into our workflow?’ and eventually it becomes part of everyday production." While Saber does not employ generative AI for core pipelines such as coding, level design, or texture creation, Willits sees personal benefits. He confessed that he has always wished he could draw, believing that the ability would make him a stronger designer. "If I have an idea in my head and need a quick visual to communicate it, AI‑generated sketches could be a handy bridge." Looking ahead, he expects larger AI‑focused projects to appear at next year’s Gamescom and is eager to see how players react to the AI mode in Rideshare.
"It’s a great experiment, and I think we’ll have something more ambitious to show soon." Saber’s split from Embracer in 2024 was, by Willits’s account, "very easy". The company remains sizeable, employing roughly 3,500 staff 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 sets on Saber development," he quipped. Notably, North America no longer hosts any major development teams, even though the corporate headquarters stay in Florida and a publishing office remains in the United States.
"We simply don’t have real development in North America any more," Willits said. This mirrors a broader trend, which ASGC’s Amir Satvat described as a shift of headcount from North America to virtually anywhere else.
Willits emphasized that Saber is unafraid of operating in unfamiliar territories. "Some publishers shy away from regions they don’t understand, but we say, ‘Let’s go, find talent, give them the tools they need, and make something great.’ You don’t need to be in California to be an excellent programmer, artist or animator." As the studio’s overseer, Willits’s role is to ensure teams have the resources they need, keep projects focused on core priorities, and prevent scope creep.
He is a vocal critic of publishers that concentrate all their resources on a single project, creating “siloed” teams. In contrast, Saber spreads its eggs across many baskets, allowing it to reassign staff between projects as market conditions dictate.
The studio balances high‑profile releases such as the upcoming Stuntman: Hollywood, John Wick, Turok: Origins and Jurassic Park: Survival with what Will Willits calls the "bread‑and‑butter" work: remasters of beloved franchises. Recent examples include the Hitman Classic Trilogy, Tomb Raider, Crysis and Halo remasters.
"Those are predictable, steady revenue streams," he explained, "and they let us fund riskier ventures." Among the riskier bets are smaller titles like Docked, Bus Bound and the experimental Rideshare game. These projects have clearly defined budgets and revenue expectations, which makes them easier to manage financially. The studio’s culture encourages staff to rotate across titles, preventing anyone from feeling locked onto a single product and enabling rapid reallocation of talent when a project needs a boost. Willits also revealed that Saber is exploring a movie‑style external development model.
The studio is in talks with a tight‑knit group of 18‑20 highly skilled developers in the United States who could provide creative vision while Saber supplies the manpower. This hybrid approach could replace the traditional, expensive model of maintaining large, idle teams in Hollywood waiting for concept art or other pre‑production work. The publishing landscape has increasingly polarized between tiny indie budgets and massive evergreen franchises, leaving few players serving the "lost middle". Saber positions itself firmly in that middle, championing AA‑level games.
Willits questioned the definition of AA, noting that titles like World War Z, which attracted 32 million players, blur the line between AA and AAA. He argues that a diversified slate reduces risk: "If you need a home run every year, you’ll eventually fail. With several modest releases, you can afford a few misses while still hitting enough wins to stay profitable." He likened this to the film industry’s slate financing, where investors fund multiple movies, expecting a few blockbusters and several modest performers.
The key, he says, is keeping any single game’s budget under control and staying true to scope. Willits illustrated the cost disparity with a personal anecdote. "When I play certain games I can see the money being wasted. The development cost for Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine 2 was 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 generate a billion in revenue." He compared the burn rates of large North American studios—often over $2 million per month—to Saber’s more modest spending. "SnowRunner, which made hundreds of millions, cost us $6 million to develop – essentially three months of a California studio’s payroll. If a big studio takes five years, that’s $120 million just in salaries, not counting marketing.
The math simply doesn’t add up for most developers." On IP strategy, Willits stressed Saber’s willingness to work with recognizable franchises. The studio has partnered with Universal, Paramount, Lionsgate and Disney, delivering titles like World War Z, which he believes attracted more players than the film itself. When selecting an IP, the first criterion is genuine passion for the property, followed by deep research into fan expectations. He warned against mismatched adaptations, citing a failed Hellraiser roguelike concept as an example.
Sometimes deals fall through. Willits recounted an instance where a major IP holder wanted a game set in a different era than fans expected. Saber pushed back, and the project was abandoned. Conversely, strong relationships open doors: after successfully delivering Evil Dead: The Game for Lionsgate, Saber was approached to develop a John Wick game because the studio trusted their handling of the IP.
Beyond licensed properties, Saber nurtures its own creations. MudRunner began as a single developer’s idea and grew into SnowRunner, spawning expansions like Expeditions and RoadCraft, and feeding technology into the Road Kings engine.
Willits highlighted that even a small team of twelve can produce a hit if the concept is compelling. The overarching theme in Willits’s philosophy is flexibility and a culture that empowers creators to pursue ideas they find exciting. "Making video games is the best job in the world; if someone has a cool concept, we want to hear it," he said. Finally, he called for greater discipline across the industry.
Developers must stay focused on what truly matters, keep budgets realistic, and avoid siloed mindsets. "You can build a great game with a handful of people if you’re smart about where and how you develop it.
Encourage teams to work on multiple projects and share knowledge – that’s the only way to stay sustainable in today’s market."