Tim Willits, the chief creative officer of Saber Interactive, recently disclosed that the company has essentially ceased any substantive game development activities on the North American continent. While the corporate headquarters and 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 operate in a diverse set of nations, including Serbia, Armenia, Georgia, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Argentina and Australia, reflecting Saber’s shift toward a truly international development model. The background to this transformation dates back to Saber’s separation from the Embracer Group in 2024.
Prior to the split, Saber acted as the parent company for several well‑known North‑American studios: Aspyr, based in Texas; Demiurge Studios in Boston; Tripwire Interactive in the state of Georgia; and Shiver Entertainment in Florida. When Saber broke away, Aspyr, Demiurge and Tripwire elected to remain under Embracer’s umbrella, while Shiver was acquired by Nintendo in May 2024. Another Embracer‑owned studio, Beamdog in Canada, also stayed with the parent group. Despite the broader retreat 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 substantial content update in May of this year. The studio experienced a wave of layoffs in 2023 as Saber prepared for its eventual split from Embracer, but it continues to operate under the Saber banner.
In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Willits explained the strategic rationale behind the company’s geographic diversification. He argued that modern game publishers need to be “smart about where you make your game,” and that Saber is open to establishing development hubs wherever talent can be found. “We are not afraid of any territories,” he said.
“Some publishers shy away from markets 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 used the interview to critique the industry’s habit of pouring massive budgets into blockbuster titles, often without a clear return on investment.
He cited the development cost of *Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2* as an example, noting that it cost roughly one‑third of what a major North‑American studio spent on a recently released AAA title, yet the latter sold 11 million more copies. “You don’t need to spend $150 million to make a billion,” he remarked, underscoring the diminishing marginal utility of ever‑larger budgets. He went on to break down the economics of a typical high‑cost studio in California. “Big North‑American development studios burn through $2 million or more each month,” Willits said.
“SnowRunner, which has generated hundreds of millions in revenue, cost us $6 million to produce – that’s essentially three months of California‑level development costs.” He then performed a simple calculation: a five‑year development cycle equals 60 months, which at $2 million per month amounts to $120 million in salaries alone. When marketing, publishing and other overhead are added, the total can easily exceed $150 million, yet the profit per unit sold may be as low as $25. “The math just doesn’t work,” he concluded.
“You have to sell an enormous volume to break even, and that’s the core problem.” Willits’ comments highlight a broader industry trend toward decentralizing development and leveraging cost‑effective talent pools worldwide. By spreading its studios across multiple continents, Saber hopes to maintain creative quality while avoiding the inflated expense structures that have traditionally plagued large North‑American studios. The company’s approach suggests a future where high‑quality games can be built outside of the historic hubs of Los Angeles, Seattle and Austin, provided that the right people and resources are in place. The full interview with GamesIndustry.biz provides additional context and can be accessed through the link in the original article.