Tim Willits, the chief creative officer of Saber Interactive, recently disclosed that the company essentially no longer conducts any substantial game development work within North America. While the corporate headquarters and the publishing division remain anchored in the United States, the actual creation of titles 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 from their respective regions. The shift away from North‑American development did not happen overnight. Prior to its separation from Embracer Group in 2024, Saber Interactive oversaw a number of well‑known North‑American studios. It owned Aspyr in Texas, Demiurge Studios in Boston, Tripwire Interactive in the state of Georgia, and Shiver Entertainment in Florida.
When the split with Embracer was finalized, Aspyr, Demiurge and Tripwire chose to stay under the Embracer umbrella, while Shiver was sold to Nintendo in May 2024. Another Embracer‑affiliated studio, Beamdog in Canada, also remained with the parent company.
Despite the overall retreat from North America, Saber still retains ownership of New World Interactive, a studio that maintains offices in both 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, however, experienced a wave of layoffs in 2023 as Saber prepared for its eventual split from Embracer, reflecting the broader restructuring taking place across the organization. In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Will Willits emphasized the importance of being "smart about where you make your game." He explained that Saber is actively open to establishing new development hubs in any region that offers the right mix of talent and resources. "We are not afraid of any territories.
Some publishers are hesitant to venture into markets they don’t fully understand, but we think, ‘let’s go, let’s find people who are skilled, give them the tools they need, and create something great.’ You don’t have to be based in California to be an exceptional programmer, artist, or animator," he said. Willits also used the interview to criticize the tendency of large‑budget projects to waste money on unnecessary extravagance. He recounted playing a high‑profile title—he chose not to name it—where he could literally see dollars “falling out of the monitor.” He contrasted that experience with the development budget for *Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2*, noting that the game was produced for roughly one‑third of the cost of a recent major North‑American release, yet it sold 11 million more copies. "You don’t need to spend $150 million to make a billion‑dollar franchise," he argued.
Willits broke down the financial mechanics of a typical big‑studio operation. He pointed out that many North‑American development houses burn through more than $2 million each month in salaries alone.
By comparison, Saber’s own title *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 California‑based studio’s rate. "If a large studio takes five years to finish a game, that’s 60 months, or about $120 million just in payroll," he explained. Adding marketing, publishing, and other ancillary expenses can easily push the total budget past $150 million, while the profit per unit sold may only be around $25. "The math just doesn’t add up—you have to sell an enormous number of copies to break even, and that’s the real challenge," he concluded.
The interview highlighted a broader industry trend: developers are increasingly looking beyond traditional hubs like Los Angeles, Vancouver, or Austin to find cost‑effective locations with strong talent pipelines. By distributing its development across multiple countries, Saber hopes to tap into local expertise, benefit from lower operating costs, and mitigate the financial risk associated with ultra‑high‑budget productions. This global studio model also allows the company to be more resilient to regional economic fluctuations, regulatory changes, and talent shortages.
Willits’ comments suggest that Saber Interactive will continue to expand its footprint in emerging markets, seeking partnerships with universities, incubators, and local game‑making communities. The company’s strategy appears to prioritize sustainable growth and creative flexibility over the prestige of a single, high‑cost development center.
As the industry evolves, the success of this approach will likely be measured by the quality of the games produced, the profitability of each title, and the ability to attract and retain top talent regardless of geographic location. For those interested in reading the full conversation, the complete GamesIndustry.biz interview with Tim Willits is available online.