Saber Interactive

History & Milestones

Saber Interactive was founded in 2001 by Andrey Iones, Matthew Karch, and Anton Krupkin. The founders built a proprietary 3D engine (Saber3D) from scratch and released their first title, Will Rock, in 2003. In 2007, Saber launched TimeShift, built on the evolving Saber3D engine. A defining moment came in 2010 when Microsoft’s 343 Industries commissioned Saber to develop Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary for the game’s tenth anniversary; the title launched in 2011 to critical acclaim. Saber later contributed to Halo: The Master Chief Collection (2014).

The company expanded internationally from 2016 onward, opening studios in Madrid, Sweden (via acquisition of Binary Motion), and Minsk. In 2018, CD Projekt Red chose Saber to create the Nintendo Switch port of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition, released in 2019 to widespread praise for its technical achievement.

Saber’s original IP World War Z launched in April 2019 and sold over one million units in its first week. That same year, former id Software studio director Tim Willits joined Saber as Chief Creative Officer. In October 2019, Saber acquired Bigmoon Entertainment in Porto, Portugal, rebranding it as Saber Porto.

Embracer Era and Post-Sale Independence

In February 2020, Saber was acquired by Embracer Group for $525 million, becoming the fifth operative group under the Embracer umbrella. The acquisition allowed Saber to act as a platform for further studio acquisitions, adding teams such as 4A Games (Metro series) and others. During this period, Saber also released SnowRunner (2020) and Expeditions: A MudRunner Game.

In 2023, as part of Embracer’s restructuring, CEO Matthew Karch temporarily stepped down to serve as Embracer’s interim COO, with Andrey Iones taking over as Saber’s CEO. However, in March 2024, Embracer sold Saber Interactive to Karch’s investment company, Beacon Interactive, returning control to its co‑founder. Later in 2024, Saber received a significant equity investment from private equity firms Aleph Capital and Crestview Partners to pay down debts.

Current Operations & Key Products

Saber Interactive operates 13 internal studios located in the Americas and Europe, focusing on development for PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. The company’s portfolio includes both original IP and licensed titles. Upcoming releases include John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando, Jurassic Park: Survival, Hitman Classic Trilogy Remastered (co‑developed with IO Interactive), Bus Bound, Docked, and Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival. Saber also continues to support its published titles—Insurgency: Sandstorm, World War Z, SnowRunner, and Tempest Rising—through updates and customer support.

Business Model & Market Position

Saber generates revenue through game development and publishing, licensing its Saber3D engine, and co-development partnerships with major publishers. Its technical expertise in porting and remastering high-profile games (e.g., Halo, The Witcher 3, Crysis Remastered) has established the company as a go-to partner for bringing heavy titles to lower-spec platforms. After regaining independence in 2024, Saber is positioned to pursue both original IP and work-for-hire projects, competing with other mid-to-large independent developers such as Certain Affinity and Crytek.