Tim Willits on AI, working outside the United States, and Saber Interactive's strategy
- Saber Interactive does not replace employees with AI, it only uses it experimentally
- After separating from Embracer Group, the company operates without a main studio in the USA, having 3,500 employees in 15 countries
- The strategy is based on distributing resources between large and small projects
Tim Willits, the chief creative officer of Saber Interactive, gave an interview to GamesIndustry.biz, where he detailed the studio's position on artificial intelligence, the reasons for abandoning development in the USA, and the specifics of resource distribution between projects.
The scandal surrounding the use of ChatGPT
Earlier this year, studio head Matt Karch found himself at the center of a conflict after former employee Stella Sacco claimed she was removed from the Rideshare 'Stimulator' project, and the remaining texts were written using ChatGPT. Saber officially denied replacing writers with AI, but acknowledged that after Sacco's departure, a generative chatbot was indeed used to write part of the content.
Later, Karch reacted sharply, stating that Sacco was replaced by a more talented colleague, and a few months later she was fired for a number of reasons. He added that in hindsight he would have preferred to replace her with artificial intelligence, after which he apologized, but did so in a closed manner.
Tim Willits' Position
Willits explained that Karch's statements were made in a sarcastic tone and do not reflect the actual policy of the company. According to him, Saber Interactive is not currently replacing employees with generative AI and is not using it in the creation of games such as Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival, and Stuntman: Hollywood. The only experimental application is a separate mode with AI in Rideshare 'Stimulator', while the main content, including side quests, is entirely written by humans.
According to the creative director, the industry still needs to find a truly useful way to apply modern AI technologies. He is confident that one of the studios will demonstrate a successful scheme for using AI in the future, after which it will become clear which tasks can be automated.
Within the production process, Saber does not yet use generative AI for coding, creating environments, or textures. However, Willits sees value in tools for visualizing ideas: the ability to quickly turn a thought into an image helps the designer better communicate their concepts.
Global team and departure from the USA
After separating from Embracer Group in 2024, Saber Interactive retained a large staff of about 3,500 employees distributed across 15 studios in Serbia, Armenia, Georgia, Russia, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Argentina, and Australia. At the same time, the company no longer has a full-fledged development studio in North America, which, according to Willits, proves that talented programmers, artists, and animators can work effectively outside of California.
Saber's strategy is based on a 'multi-basket' approach: several large and medium projects are carried out simultaneously, and employees are transferred from one team to another as needed. This contrasts with the model of many publishers who bet on a single flagship game.
Project portfolio
The studio's portfolio includes major projects such as Stuntman: Hollywood, John Wick Game, Turok: Origins, and Jurassic Park: Survival. They are complemented by more predictable remasters of Hitman, Tomb Raider, and Crysis, which provide stable income. Additionally, Saber releases smaller games – Docked, Bus Bound, and the aforementioned Rideshare 'Stimulator', where expenses and potential profits are easier to predict.
The company encourages employees to work on different games rather than being tied to one product, which increases team flexibility and accelerates the exchange of experience.
Source: StopGame
