Tim Willits, the chief creative officer of Saber Interactive, recently disclosed that the company has essentially ceased any genuine game development activities on the North American continent. While Saber still maintains its corporate headquarters and a publishing division within the United States, the actual creation of games now takes place across a network of fifteen studios scattered around the globe.
These development hubs are located in a diverse set of nations, including Serbia, Armenia, Georgia, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Argentina, and Australia, among others. Prior to its separation from Embracer Group in 2024, Saber Interactive functioned as the parent company for several well‑known North American developers: Aspyr in Texas, Demiurge Studios in Boston, Tripwire Interactive in the state of Georgia, and Shiver Entertainment in Florida. When the split occurred, Aspyr, Demiurge, and Tripwire remained under Embracer’s ownership, while Shiver was acquired by Nintendo in May 2024. Another Embracer‑affiliated studio, Beamdog in Canada, also stayed with the parent group.
Despite the overall shift away from North American development, Saber still retains ownership of New World Interactive, a studio that operates out of Denver, Colorado, and Calgary, Alberta. New World is best known for the 2018 tactical shooter Insurgency: Sandstorm, which received a substantial content update in May of this year. The studio, however, experienced a wave of layoffs in 2023 as Saber prepared for its eventual break‑away from Embracer. In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Willits emphasized that modern game publishers need to be “smart about where you make your game.” He explained that Saber is open to establishing new studios in any region that can provide talent and infrastructure, regardless of geographic tradition.
“We are not afraid of any territories,” he said. “Some publishers shy away from markets they don’t fully understand, but we think, let’s go there, find skilled people, give them the tools they need, and create something great. You don’t have to be based in California to be an outstanding programmer, artist, or animator.” Willits also voiced criticism of the extravagant budgets that often accompany blockbuster titles produced by large North American studios.
He recounted watching a recent high‑profile release—without naming it—where he could literally see money “falling out of the monitor.” He contrasted that with the development cost of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, noting that its budget was roughly one‑third of the aforementioned unnamed game, yet it sold 11 million more copies. “You don’t need to spend $150 million to make a billion‑dollar franchise,” he asserted. He went on to break down the economics of big‑studio development.
“A typical North American studio can burn $2 million or more each month,” Willits explained. “Take SnowRunner, a title that has generated hundreds of millions in revenue; it cost us about $6 million to produce.
That’s essentially three months of development in California.” He then performed a simple calculation: if a large studio spends five years—60 months—on a game, the payroll alone could total $120 million. Adding marketing, publishing, and other ancillary costs can easily push the total budget beyond $150 million, while the profit margin per unit sold may only be around $25. “The math just doesn’t work,” he concluded.
“You have to sell a massive quantity to break even, and that’s the core problem.” Willits’ remarks highlight a broader industry trend toward decentralizing development and seeking cost‑effective talent pools outside traditional hubs like Los Angeles or Seattle. By leveraging studios in regions with lower overhead and still high skill levels, Saber hopes to maintain creative quality while keeping budgets manageable.
The company’s global footprint now includes studios in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, the Iberian Peninsula, Scandinavia, South America, and Oceania, each contributing to different aspects of Saber’s portfolio, from engine work to art direction and live‑service support. The full interview with GamesIndustry.biz provides additional context and can be accessed through the link provided in the original source.