Saber Interactive has accomplished a great deal in recent years, yet the most headline‑grabbing story 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," Willis laughed. "The bottom line is we have never replaced a human 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 the company is nonetheless experimenting with generative AI in limited contexts because the industry is still figuring out where the technology can add real value.
"In our Rideshare Simulator we’ve added an ‘AI mode’ to see what works and what doesn’t. The core story, side quests and all the dialogue are still written by people." Willits believes that a breakthrough use‑case will eventually emerge that makes the potential of modern AI obvious to everyone, much like past technologies that were initially met with skepticism before becoming everyday tools. "When a clever, practical application finally shows up, the whole community will say, ‘That’s it!’ and the technology will find its place. Until then, it’s a research exercise." While Saber does not currently employ generative AI for coding, environment creation, or texture generation, Willits sees personal benefits.
He confessed that he has always wished he could draw, feeling that a stronger ability to sketch would make him a better designer. "If I have a clear vision in my head and need a quick way to get it onto the screen, AI‑assisted drawing could be a huge help." Looking ahead, he expects larger titles that lean on AI to appear by next year’s Gamescom, and he is eager to see how players react to the AI‑driven features in the Rideshare project. "It’s an exciting experiment and a chance to learn what works in practice." Saber’s split from Embracer in 2024 was, by Willits’s account, "very smooth".
The studio now employs roughly 3,500 staff across fifteen locations, including Serbia, Armenia, Georgia, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Argentina and Australia. "Since we opened a studio in Australia, the sun never sets on Saber development," he quipped. Notably, North America no longer hosts any major development teams, although the corporate headquarters remain in Florida and a publishing office stays in the United States. "We’ve essentially moved our production footprint away from North America," Willits explained, noting that this mirrors a broader industry trend of distributing talent worldwide.
"We’re not scared of any region. Some publishers shy away from unfamiliar markets, but we see opportunity everywhere. You don’t need to be in California to be a top‑tier programmer, artist or animator." Willits sees his role as keeping the massive operation running smoothly. "I make sure each team has the resources it needs, keep the focus on the most important priorities, and prevent scope from spiraling out of control." 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 shift staff between projects as demand changes. The studio balances blockbuster releases—upcoming titles such as Stuntman: Hollywood, John Wick, Turok: Origins and Jurassic Park: Survival—with what Willits calls its "bread‑and‑butter" work.
This includes remastering classic franchises like the original Hitman trilogy, following similar efforts on Tomb Raider, Crysis and Halo. "Those projects are predictable, they generate steady revenue and let us fund riskier ventures," he said. Smaller‑scale bets such as Docked, Bus Bound and the Rideshare experiment also fit into the mix. "We know the budgets, we can forecast the returns, and we have a culture that lets people hop between games.
No one feels stuck on a single title, and we can pull talent from any studio to reinforce a project when needed." Willits revealed that Saber is exploring a "movie‑style" external development model. The plan involves partnering with a tight group of 18‑20 elite developers in the United States who would provide creative vision while Saber supplies the manpower.
This approach would avoid the inefficiency of large, idle teams in expensive locations, allowing a lean core to focus on concept work before scaling up with additional staff. In the current publishing climate, many companies either back indie projects with shoestring budgets or pour resources into massive evergreen franchises, leaving a "lost middle" largely unattended. Saber positions itself squarely in that middle, championing what Willits calls "AA" games—titles with substantial budgets but not the megabudget of a triple‑A blockbuster.
He questioned the definition, noting that a game like World War Z, with 32 million players, blurs the line between AA and AAA. He argues that diversifying across several mid‑tier games reduces risk. "If you rely on a single home run every year, you’re setting yourself up for failure. With multiple modest releases you can spread money, talent and risk, much like the slate‑financing model used in film.
A publisher can fund four or five games; a few become hits, one may miss, and overall the portfolio stays healthy." Keeping individual project budgets under control is essential. Willits cited the development cost of Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine 2 as roughly a third of a recent major North‑American release, yet it sold 11 million more copies. "You don’t need a $150 million budget to make a billion‑dollar franchise," he warned.
He compared the burn rate of large U.S. studios—often $2 million per month—to Saber’s more modest spend. "SnowRunner, which generated hundreds of millions, cost us about $6 million to develop—essentially three months of California‑level salaries.
A five‑year development cycle at a big studio could easily exceed $120 million in salaries alone, not counting marketing and publishing overhead. The math rarely works out in favor of gigantic budgets." On the IP front, Saber has become adept at working with well‑known franchises.
"We’re agnostic about the owners—we’ve partnered with Universal, Paramount, Lionsgate and Disney," Willits said. The World War Z game, loosely based on the novel and Brad Pitt film, became a standout hit, perhaps even out‑performing the movie itself. Choosing the right property, however, starts with genuine affection for the IP and a deep understanding of fan expectations.
"If we turned Hellraiser into a roguelike, fans would hate it," he warned, emphasizing the importance of A/B testing and focus groups to gauge audience reaction. Not every opportunity materializes.
Willits recounted a case where a major IP holder wanted a game set in an era that conflicted with fan preferences. Saber pushed back, and the project was shelved. At Summer Game Fest, Saber announced a collaboration with Universal on Stuntman: Hollywood, a title that blends influences from Back to the Future, Fast & Furious and Jurassic World. Willits sees the value of such recognizable IPs as two‑fold: they evoke nostalgia for older gamers while also attracting casual players who might not be hardcore gamers.
The upcoming John Wick game emerged from a prior partnership with Lionsgate on Evil Dead: The Game. "They trusted us because we treated their property with respect," Willits explained.
"Being a good partner opens doors—every major studio wants video games because that’s where the audience lives." Saber also handles non‑movie properties. The studio is working with IO Interactive on a remastered Hitman Classic Trilogy, aiming to improve the originals while preserving their core identity. Similar collaborations have occurred on Tomb Raider remasters, where incremental enhancements are guided by fan feedback.
Beyond licensed work, Saber nurtures its own ideas. MudRunner began as a solo developer’s concept and grew into SnowRunner, a commercial success that spawned expansions like Expeditions and RoadCraft, as well as proprietary Road Kings technology. Willits highlighted that Saber encourages employees to prototype and iterate on personal projects, even if they start small. The overarching theme is flexibility.
"We let people chase the cool ideas they’re passionate about. Making games is the best job in the world, so if someone has a great concept, we want to hear it," Willits said. Finally, he called for greater discipline across the industry. Developers must stay focused on what truly matters, build cultures that allow talent to move between titles, and avoid siloed thinking.
"You can create an outstanding game with a lean team if you’re smart about scope and resources. That’s the formula for sustainable success."