Saber Interactive Chief Creative Officer Tim Willits has shared insight into how the studio maintains budget control while navigating the rising costs associated with modern AAA game development. Speaking with The Game Business, Willits emphasized that the studio’s success stems from a philosophy of “doing it smarter” rather than simply increasing spending.
“We’re very good at making sure that we scope our projects to focus on the fun and to focus on what really needs to happen,” Willits said. He noted that he often observes other developers spending heavily on elements that do not contribute to the core experience, describing it as watching “virtual dollars flying out of the screen.”
Efficiency Through Flexible Staffing
A core pillar of Saber’s development strategy is the rejection of siloed work environments. According to Willits, many large North American studios fall into the trap of assigning teams to a single project, which leads to inefficiencies.
“You have these North American developers with 200 employees working on one title. That’s not going to work,” Willits explained. “Because everyone knows you don’t need all 200 people in the very beginning and at the very end. So, you need to work on other projects. You need to expand.”
By maintaining a culture where employees can contribute to various titles—ranging from John Wick and SnowRunner to Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2—the studio ensures that human resources are moved to where they are most useful at any given time. Willits noted that this approach is not only a business necessity but is also appreciated by the staff, who enjoy the variety of work.
Strategic Development and Risk Taking
Beyond staffing, Saber Interactive utilizes geographic strategy to manage costs. “We find super talented people in places that are honestly a little more affordable,” Willits said. Combined with the ability to shift resources quickly, this has allowed the studio to maintain a lean operation even on large-scale projects.
Willits compared his role to a person spinning plates, constantly monitoring projects to ensure they remain on track. While the process can be “a little crazy,” he believes the results speak for themselves. The studio has seen significant returns from smaller projects like MudRunner and SnowRunner, the latter of which was produced by a small team and generated hundreds of millions of dollars.
“I know how much Space Marine 2 costs, and I know how much other games have cost that have been made by big AAA teams, and we can just do it smarter,” Willits concluded. By prioritizing vision, passion, and flexible scheduling, the studio aims to deliver quality experiences without the runaway costs frequently seen in the industry.