Tim Willits, the chief creative officer of Saber Interactive, recently disclosed that the company essentially no longer conducts any substantial game development within North America. While the corporate headquarters and the publishing division remain anchored in the United States, the actual creation of games now takes place across a network of fifteen studios scattered around 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 a number of North‑American subsidiaries such as Aspyr in Texas, Demiurge Studios in Boston, Tripwire Interactive in 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 former Saber asset, Beamdog in Canada, also stayed with Embracer.
Despite the shift away from North‑American development, Saber 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 significant content update in May of this year. The studio experienced a round of layoffs in 2023 as Saber prepared for its eventual spin‑off from Embracer. In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Will Willits stressed that modern game publishers must be "smart about where you make your game." He explained that Saber Interactive is open to establishing development hubs wherever talent can be found, regardless of geography.
"We are not afraid of any territories," he said. "Some publishers shy away from regions they don’t understand, but we think, ‘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 a brilliant programmer, artist, or animator." Willits also took the opportunity to criticize the industry’s tendency to pour excessive money into blockbuster titles.
He recounted watching a high‑budget game—without naming it—where he could literally see money being wasted, as if dollars were falling out of the monitor. He contrasted that with the development budget for Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, which, according to Willits, cost roughly a third of what a recent major North‑American release spent, yet sold 11 million more copies. "You don’t need to spend $150 million to make a billion," he argued. He went on to break down the cost structure of large studios in the United States.
"Big North‑American development studios often burn through $2 million or more each month," Willits explained. "SnowRunner, a title that has generated hundreds of millions in revenue, cost us about $6 million to develop. That’s essentially three months of work in California." Doing the math, Willits pointed out, a five‑year development cycle—60 months—at a $2 million monthly burn rate translates to $120 million in salary expenses alone.
When marketing, publishing, and other ancillary costs are added, the total can easily surpass $150 million. Yet the profit margin on a successful game might only be around $25 per unit, meaning a studio must sell an enormous quantity of copies just to break even.
"The math just doesn’t add up," he concluded. "You’ve got to sell a buttload, and that’s the problem." Willits’ comments illustrate a broader industry trend toward decentralizing development and seeking cost‑effective production models outside traditional hubs like Los Angeles or Seattle.
By leveraging talent in emerging markets and lower‑cost regions, Saber Interactive hopes to maintain creative quality while keeping budgets in check. The company’s strategy reflects a belief that great games can be built anywhere, provided the right people and tools are in place.
For readers interested in the full conversation, the complete GamesIndustry.biz interview with Tim Willits is available through the original publication.