Saber Interactive has accomplished a great deal over the last few years, but the most headline‑grabbing story recently was CEO Matthew Karch’s blunt reaction 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 sit‑downs, the first question on our list was exactly that rumor.
"That was just Matt being sarcastic," Willis laughed. "The bottom line is we have never replaced a human writer with AI. That would be insane.
None of the narrative work on Space Marine, Hellraiser, Stuntman or any of our other titles has been generated by a machine." He went on to explain that while Saber does not currently employ generative AI for core production tasks, the company is actively experimenting with the technology to understand where it might add value. "In our experimental project Rideshare Simulator we have an ‘AI mode’ that lets us test how the tool behaves, but everything else – the main story, side quests, dialogue – was all crafted by people." Willits believes that, eventually, a developer will discover a truly clever and practical use for modern AI, and the industry will collectively say, “That’s the way forward.” Until that breakthrough, he likens AI to any new technology that initially confuses people. "When a new tool first appears, everyone asks, ‘What can we actually do with this?
How does it fit into our workflow?’ Over time we discover the sweet spots where it becomes part of everyday production." Saber’s current pipeline does not rely on AI for code, environment generation, or texture creation. Nevertheless, Willits sees personal benefits. He confessed that he has always wished he could draw, believing that better illustration skills would make him a stronger designer.
"If I can picture something in my head and then have a tool that helps me get that vision onto the screen, that’s a huge advantage for me." Looking ahead, he expects to see more concrete AI‑driven games at the next Gamescom. "I think next year we’ll have a few larger titles that actually centre around AI features.
I’m curious to see how our Rideshare experiment is received and what the community thinks. It’s a fascinating test case." In 2024 Saber split from its former parent Embracer in what Willits described as a "very smooth" process. The studio remains massive, employing roughly 3,500 staff across 15 locations, including studios in Serbia, Armenia, Georgia, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Argentina and Australia. "Now that we have a studio in Australia, the sun never really sets on Saber’s development," he joked.
Notably, North America no longer appears on the list of development hubs. "We don’t have any core development teams in North America any more," Willits confirmed, even though the company’s corporate headquarters stay in Florida and a publishing office remains in the United States. This shift mirrors a broader industry trend that Amir Satvat of ASGC described as moving headcount from North America to virtually any other region. Willits said Saber embraces this geographic diversity.
"We’re not scared of any territory. Some publishers shy away from markets they don’t understand, but we say, ‘Let’s go, find talented people, give them the tools they need, and make something great.’ You don’t need to be in California to be a brilliant programmer, artist or animator." As the studio’s overseer, Willits’ role is to ensure each team has the resources it needs, keep projects focused, and prevent scope creep. He warned against the old‑school publisher model that puts all its eggs in a single basket with siloed teams working on one game at a time.
Saber, by contrast, spreads its eggs across many baskets and can reallocate staff between projects whenever the situation demands. The company balances high‑profile releases – upcoming titles such as Stuntman: Hollywood, a John Wick game, Turok: Origins and Jurassic Park: Survival – with what Willits calls "bread‑and‑butter" work. This includes remastering classic franchises like the original Hitman trilogy, following similar updates to Tomb Raider, Crysis and Halo. "Those projects are predictable, they generate steady revenue, and they keep the studio financially healthy," he explained.
Smaller, more experimental bets also have a place. Titles like Docked, Bus Bound and the aforementioned Rideshare fall into this category. "We can forecast the budget and expected return for these games, and we have a culture that lets staff rotate across different projects so no one feels locked onto a single title.
When a game needs extra attention, we can pull talent from around the world." Willits revealed that Saber is exploring a Hollywood‑style external development model. The studio is in talks with a group of 18‑20 highly skilled developers in the United States who could provide creative vision while Saber supplies the manpower and production infrastructure.
"Instead of maintaining a massive team in California that burns cash while waiting for concept art, we can work with a lean, focused core and scale up as needed," he said. The publishing landscape has increasingly split between ultra‑low‑budget indie support and massive evergreen franchises, leaving a "lost middle" that many publishers ignore. Saber positions itself squarely in that middle, championing the AA tier.
Willits admitted the definition of AA is fuzzy. "Some would call World War Z AA, but it attracted 32 million players – does that still count as AA?
In practice, it’s more about budget than sales." He argues that spreading risk across several mid‑scale games is wiser than betting everything on a handful of blockbuster titles. "If you rely on a single home‑run every release, you’re setting yourself up for failure. With modest projects you can take more bets, diversify resources, and use a slate‑financing approach similar to the film industry, where a portfolio of four or five games yields three hits and one miss, and everyone walks away satisfied." Key to that strategy is keeping individual budgets under control. "You have to stay in scope and focus on what truly matters," Willits stressed.
He illustrated his point with a personal anecdote: "Sometimes I play a game and I can literally see the money being wasted – dollars falling off the monitor. The development cost for Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine 2 was about a third of a recent major North‑American studio release, yet it sold 11 million more copies. You don’t need a $150 million budget to make a billion‑dollar hit." Willits highlighted the cost disparity between large North‑American studios and Saber’s more efficient model. "Big studios can burn $2 million a month in salaries alone.
SnowRunner, which generated hundreds of millions, cost us roughly $6 million – that’s about three months of development in California. If a big studio spends five years on a game, that’s $120 million in salaries, plus marketing and publishing fees that can push the total to $150 million, while the net return per title may only be around $25 million after deductions. The math just doesn’t add up." When it comes to intellectual property, Saber is a strong advocate for recognizable brands.
The studio has worked with major holders such as Universal, Paramount, Lionsgate and Disney. Willits pointed out that World War Z, loosely based on the 2006 novel and the 2013 Brad Pitt film, attracted more players than the movie itself. "We’re very agnostic about the IP – we love it, we respect the owners, and we try to understand what fans truly want.
For example, turning Hellraiser into a roguelike would be a disaster because it doesn’t match fan expectations." Not every IP partnership works out. Willits recounted a case where a large rights holder wanted a game set in a different era than fans preferred.
Saber pushed back, explaining that the fan base would reject the mismatch, and the project was ultimately shelved. At Summer Game Fest Saber announced a collaboration with Universal on Stuntman: Hollywood, a title that draws inspiration from Back to the Future, Fast & Furious and Jurassic World. Willits sees the value of such nostalgia‑rich IPs: they appeal to older gamers while also providing an entry point for newcomers who might not be hardcore players. The upcoming John Wick game originated from a prior partnership with Lionsgate on Evil Dead: The Game.
"They felt we treated their property with respect, so when they needed a team for John Wick, they came to us," Willits said. He believes that being a reliable partner opens doors across the entertainment industry, as studios increasingly look to video games to reach their audiences.
Saber also handles non‑film IP. Willits praised IO Interactive for collaborating on the Hitman Classic Trilogy Remastered, noting that both companies bring ideas to the table to improve the original experience without alienating fans. Similar work was done on Tomb Raider remasters, where subtle enhancements were added based on player feedback.
Beyond external licenses, Saber nurtures its own creations. MudRunner, which started as a solo developer’s concept, exemplifies the studio’s encouragement of internal prototypes.
The title evolved into SnowRunner, which spawned expansions like Expeditions and RoadCraft, and even contributed technology to the Road Kings series. "If a small team of twelve has a great idea, we can back it. That flexibility fuels innovation." Willits summed up the studio’s ethos: a flexible culture that lets people chase the projects they’re passionate about.
"Making video games is the best job in the world. If someone has a cool idea, we want to hear it." He also called for greater discipline across the industry. "Developers need to be smart, focus on the essentials, and understand that a great game can be built with a modest team if you make the right choices about where and how you develop." Finally, he urged studios to break down silos.
"Build a culture where people can contribute to multiple titles. Don’t say, ‘I’m only on team A, I’ll never work on team B.’ That mindset limits creativity and efficiency.
The future belongs to studios that can move talent fluidly across projects while keeping budgets realistic and fans happy."