Saber Interactive has been on a remarkable trajectory over the past few years, but the most headline‑grabbing story recently came from 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 interviews, the first question we asked was about that very claim. "That was just Matt being sarcastic," Willits 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 use generative AI for story creation, the team is experimenting with it in a limited capacity to understand where the technology might eventually add value.
"In our internal project Rideshare Simulator we have an ‘AI mode’ that lets us test how the system behaves. All the side missions, all the dialogue, everything you see on screen was still written by people.
The experiment is about learning the limits and the possibilities, not about replacing staff." Willits believes a breakthrough use case for true AI integration will eventually emerge, and when it does the industry will collectively say, "That’s the answer." Until then, he likens AI to any other disruptive tool that initially confuses people before it finds its niche. "When a new technology first appears, everyone asks, ‘What are we supposed to do with this?
How does it work?’ Over time we discover how it fits into everyday production." He clarified that Saber does not employ generative AI in its core pipelines for code, level design, textures, or any other production asset. Still, he sees personal benefits. "I’ve always wanted to be able to draw. I think my design instincts would be stronger if I could translate a mental image onto paper quickly.
If AI can help turn a concept in my head into a visual mock‑up, that’s a tool I could use." Looking ahead, Willits expects to see more concrete AI‑driven games at the next Gamescom and beyond. "We’ll have larger titles that actually centre around AI mechanics, and we’ll see how players react. It’s an exciting experiment for us, especially in the context of Rideshare." In 2024 Saber split from its former parent Embracer in what Willits described as "a very smooth process." The company remains sizable, with roughly 3,500 employees across fifteen studios in locations such as Serbia, Armenia, Georgia, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Argentina and Australia.
"Now that we have a studio in Australia, the sun never sets on Saber’s development," he joked. Notably, North America no longer appears on that studio map. "We have essentially no development teams on the continent any longer," Willits confirmed, though the corporate headquarters stay in Florida and a publishing office remains in the United States. This mirrors a broader industry trend that Amir Satvat of ASGC summed up as “headcount moving from basically North America to basically anywhere else.” Saber embraces the shift.
"We’re not scared of any region. Some publishers hesitate to work in markets they don’t understand, but we say, ‘Let’s go, find the talent, give them the tools, and make something great.’ You don’t need to be in California to be an outstanding programmer, artist or animator." Willits sees his role as keeping the operation humming.
"I make sure teams have what they need, keep focus on the priorities, and prevent scope from ballooning," he said. He also warned against the old‑fashioned model of “putting all the eggs in one basket” that many modern publishers still use.
Saber, by contrast, spreads its eggs across many baskets and can reallocate resources between projects as needed. The studio balances tentpole projects—upcoming titles like Stuntman: Hollywood, John Wick, Turok: Origins and Jurassic Park: Survival—with what Willits calls its "bread‑and‑butter" work. This includes the remaster of the original Hitman trilogy, following similar remaster efforts for Tomb Raider, Crysis and Halo.
"Those are predictable, steady revenue streams that keep the company healthy," he explained. Smaller bets also have a place. Titles such as Docked, Bus Bound and the experimental Rideshare game are built on tight budgets with clear cost‑to‑revenue expectations. The flexible culture lets staff move between projects, preventing anyone from feeling locked into a single title.
"If a game needs extra hands, we can pull talent from anywhere in the world." Willits revealed that Saber is exploring a Hollywood‑style external development model. "We’re talking to groups of 18‑20 top‑tier developers in the US who can bring creative vision, while we provide the production muscle. Instead of a 300‑person team in California burning cash while concept art is drawn, a small, focused crew can handle the core work and we scale up when needed." The publishing landscape has split into two extremes: tiny indie budgets or massive evergreen franchises, leaving a "lost middle" that few serve. Saber positions itself squarely in that middle, championing AA titles.
"Some people might call World War Z AA, but with 32 million players it feels more like a AAA hit. The definition really comes down to budget size," Willits noted. He argues that betting on a single blockbuster each year is risky.
"If you need a home run every season, you’re setting yourself up for failure. With modest releases you can place multiple bets, spread resources, and apply a slate‑financing approach similar to the film industry—invest in several games, expect a few hits, one miss, and overall profitability." Keeping budgets in check is essential.
"You have to stay within scope and focus on what truly matters," Willits said. He illustrated his point with a personal anecdote: "Sometimes I play a game and I can literally see money being wasted—dollars falling off the monitor. The development cost for Space Marine 2 was only 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 franchise." Saber’s cost structure underscores the advantage of a lean operation. A large North‑American studio can burn over $2 million per month; by contrast, SnowRunner—one of Saber’s biggest successes—cost about $6 million total, roughly three months of a California‑style development cycle.
"If a big studio spends five years on a game, that’s $120 million in salaries alone, not counting marketing and publishing. The math rarely works out unless you sell an enormous volume." IP strategy is another pillar of Saber’s approach. The studio works with major rights holders—Universal, Paramount, Lionsgate, Disney—and has turned properties like World War Z into a hit game that arguably outperformed the film. "We only take on IP we love and that we understand what fans want," Willits stressed.
He cited Hellraiser as an example where a roguelike adaptation would have been a disaster, emphasizing the importance of fan‑centric testing. Not every partnership succeeds. Willits recounted an instance where a large IP holder wanted a game set in a different era than fans expected; Saber pushed back, the collaboration fell apart, and the project was 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 highlighted the dual benefit of such recognizable IP: nostalgia for older gamers and an entry point for newcomers who may not be hardcore gamers. The upcoming John Wick game materialized because Saber previously earned Lionsgate’s trust on Evil Dead: The Game.
"Being a good partner opens doors," he said. "Every major studio wants video games because that’s where the audience lives." Beyond movie licenses, Saber also handles game IPs. Willits praised the partnership with IO Interactive on the Hitman Classic Trilogy Remastered, noting that both studios contribute ideas to improve the original while respecting the franchise’s legacy. Similar collaboration occurred on Tomb Raider remasters.
Internally, Saber nurtures original concepts. MudRunner began as a single developer’s vision and grew into SnowRunner, spawning expansions like Expeditions and RoadCraft and even feeding technology into the Road Kings series.
Willits said the company encourages employees to prototype, stating, "If a small team of twelve has a cool idea, we can support it." He summed up the studio’s philosophy: flexibility, passion, and discipline. "Making games is the best job in the world.
If someone has an exciting idea, we want to hear it. At the same time, developers must stay smart, focus on what matters, and avoid siloed thinking.
You can create a great experience with a small, focused team if you manage scope and resources wisely."