Tim Willits, the chief creative officer of Saber Interactive, recently remarked that the company essentially no longer maintains a substantial development presence on the North American continent. While the corporate headquarters and the publishing division remain situated in the United States, the actual creation of games has migrated to a network of fifteen studios spread across the globe. These studios are located in a diverse set of countries, including Serbia, Armenia, Georgia, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Argentina, and Australia, among others. Prior to its separation from Embracer Group in 2024, Saber Interactive oversaw several North‑American subsidiaries: Aspyr in Texas, Demiurge Studios in Boston, Tripwire Interactive in the state of Georgia, and Shiver Entertainment in Florida.
Following the split, Aspyr, Demiurge, and Tripwire stayed under Embracer’s umbrella, while Shiver Entertainment was acquired by Nintendo in May 2024. Another Embracer‑held studio, Beamdog in Canada, also remained with the parent company.
Saber Interactive still retains ownership of New World Interactive, a studio with offices in Denver, Colorado, and Calgary, Alberta. New World is best known for the 2018 tactical shooter "Insurgency: Sandstorm," which received a substantial post‑launch update in May. The studio experienced a wave of layoffs in 2023 as Saber prepared for its eventual departure from Embracer. In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Will Willits emphasized that modern game publishers must be "smart about where you make your game." He explained that Saber is open to establishing development hubs wherever talent can be found, rather than confining itself to traditional industry hot‑spots.
"We are not afraid of any territories. Some publishers are hesitant to work in regions they don’t understand, but we say, let’s go, let’s locate skilled people, give them the resources they need, and create something great. You don’t have to be in California to be an exceptional programmer, artist, or animator," he said. Willits also took the opportunity to criticize the often‑inflated budgets associated with blockbuster titles.
He cited an unnamed high‑budget game as an example of wasted expenditure, noting that the development cost for "Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2" was roughly one‑third of the budget of a recent major release from a large North‑American studio, yet it sold 11 million more copies. "You don’t need to spend $150 million to make a billion‑dollar hit," he argued.
He continued by breaking down the financial realities of large‑scale development in the United States. "Big North‑American studios can burn through $2 million or more each month.
By comparison, SnowRunner—which has generated hundreds of millions in revenue—cost us about $6 million to develop. That’s essentially three months of work at a California studio’s rate. If a big studio spends five years on a title, that’s 60 months, which translates to $120 million just in salaries.
Add marketing and publishing expenses, and the total can easily surpass $150 million, while the profit per unit might only be around $25. The math just doesn’t add up; you have to sell an enormous volume to break even," Willits explained. The interview underscores a broader industry shift toward distributed development models. By leveraging studios in lower‑cost regions, Saber hopes to maintain high production values while keeping budgets manageable.
This approach also aligns with the growing recognition that creative talent is not confined to traditional hubs like Los Angeles or Seattle. Instead, skilled programmers, artists, designers, and animators can be found worldwide, often at a fraction of the cost of their North‑American counterparts. Saber’s strategy reflects a pragmatic response to the escalating financial risks of AAA game production. As development cycles lengthen and marketing spends balloon, many publishers are reevaluating the cost‑benefit equation of large‑scale projects.
Willits’ comments suggest that Saber intends to stay agile, tapping into global talent pools and avoiding the overhead that has historically plagued big‑studio endeavors. For readers interested in the full conversation, the complete GamesIndustry.biz interview is available online.
It provides additional context on Saber’s post‑Embracer restructuring, the company’s vision for future titles, and its perspective on the evolving economics of the video‑game industry.