Alongside its own big successes, Saber Interactive is sticking with indies - here's why

Saber Interactive has a long list of recent winners to its name, including the likes of Warhammer 40k: Space Marine 2, Roadcraft, and John Carpenter's Toxic Commando. Alongside its own creations, however, the studio's publishing side is adamant about sticking with indie games. At Summer Game Fest, we sat down with Chief Creative Officer Tim Willits and Head of Publishing Todd Hollenshead to discuss why Saber believes so strongly in continuing to support smaller teams.

Saber parted ways with former owner Embracer Group in 2024 after four years, returning control back to co-founder Matthew Karch's Beacon Interactive. Hollenshead notes that 2025 action-adventure game The Knightling, developed by Twirlbound, is one carry-over from that era. "We signed that game in the Embracer years, when we were just sort of going out and signing lots of different things. I think it was one of the experiments we took on - that style of game, I don't know that it's necessarily really where our wheelhouse is."

As a result, he says that working with Twirlbound "was a good experience for Saber." Stepping outside its comfort zone has helped the greater studio to grow and evolve, and that extends to its other partnerships as well. "Now that we've had the experience of working on smaller games with smaller teams, I think we've learned from it. I think we took lessons in working with the guys at Stillalive on Bus Bound." The blend of driving sim and transport management launched at the end of April.

"We have plans, as they say, to continue to do that in the future," Hollenshead continues. "We continue to look at independent teams that we would be interested in working with. We are open to signing deals where the fit is right - I think we'll have more to say about specifics in the future, when those games get closer to where we're ready to expose them to the public."

Speaking to Saber's success more broadly, Willits believes that the secret is in the way it focuses on a key idea rather than aiming too wide. "We have a group of folks that are really passionate about making great games - and we do focus on what's important in a game, and we scope it correctly. Our games are not over scope, but they're a heck of a lot of fun.

"We find that thing. Swarms in World War Z. Being Tidus in Space Marine. How to drive through the mud in Snowrunner. How to build a road in Roadcraft. All the way up to how to have crazy, over-the-top, goofy action in Toxic Commando, and to scare people in Hellraiser. We focus on the core of the game, we scope it well, we give the time and resources that they need, and we try to stay small."

"We're 3,500 people, and we work on a lot of games, but we try to stay 'small,' you know, and energetic," Willits concludes. "We try to stay small in our decision making by being agile and working on the games that we love, and focusing on what makes those games fun."

Additional reporting by Tom Hopkins for PCGamesN at Summer Game Fest.