Overview
- Saber now performs most game development through 15 international studios while keeping its U.S. headquarters and publishing staff in place.
- Chief creative officer Tim Willits says the move is driven by cost, noting SnowRunner cost about $6 million to make and that Space Marine 2 was a fraction of a typical big North American game's development budget.
- Willits argued large North American studios face very high monthly burn rates, which he said makes multi‑year, high‑cost projects harder to profitably sustain.
- The company added an AI disclosure to its Steam listing for Rideshare Simulator after a former writer alleged she was replaced by ChatGPT, keeping its use of generative AI under public and platform scrutiny.
- The shift builds on Saber’s 2024 separation from Embracer that left several North American studios with Embracer or sold, and it raises questions about job shifts in the U.S. and how publishers balance lower costs with reputational and disclosure risks.