Saber Interactive Inc. is an American video game developer and publisher based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Founded by Andrey Iones, Matthew Karch, and Anton Krupkin in 2001, it is controlled by Karch's investment company Beacon Interactive, created in 2024.[2] The company employs over 1,350 people.[3][4]
Saber was initially acquired by Embracer Group in February 2020.[5] In March 2024, amidst financial difficulties, Embracer Group sold Saber Interactive to Beacon Interactive, reverting control back to co-founder Karch.
History
Saber Interactive was founded in 2001 by Andrey Iones, Matthew Karch, and Anton Krupkin.[6][7] Together they created a 3D engine from scratch, gathered a team of artists from Saint Petersburg, Russia, and began working on their first game, Will Rock.[8] After the release of Will Rock, Saber developed their proprietary game engine, Saber3D, which was used in their second title, TimeShift (2007).[9] The Saber3D engine has since been continuously updated and evolved for use in current games.[10][11]
In 2010, Saber was approached by Microsoft's 343 Industries to remake Halo: Combat Evolved for the game's tenth anniversary. This would be Saber's first involvement in a major franchise and COO Andrey Iones considered it "an opportunity that we couldn’t miss". To maintain the original game experience, Saber used the original engine for game play and the Saber3D engine for visuals.[12]Halo Combat Evolved Anniversary was released on November 15, 2011, to positive reviews.[13] Saber then assisted in 2014 on the development of Halo: The Master Chief Collection.[14]
On August 1, 2016, Saber Interactive opened its first internal studio outside of Russia in Madrid.[15] This was the beginning of a major international expansion, with Saber opening studios in Sundsvall, Sweden (by buying porting studio Binary Motion),[16] and Minsk, Belarus.
Saber was acquired by Embracer Group in February 2020 in a deal worth US$525 million.[5] Under the deal, Saber became the fifth direct subsidiary under Embracer and maintains autonomy. Post-acquisition, Matthew Karch continues to serve as chief executive officer and Andrey Iones as chief operating officer.[24] After joining Embracer, Saber became a platform for future acquisitions of other studios.
In February 2021, Embracer Group announced that they acquired Aspyr and that the developer would be a subsidiary for Saber Interactive. The day one purchase price amounts to US$100 million on a cash and debt free basis, where US$60 million is paid in cash and US$40 million is paid in newly issued Embracer B shares. An additional consideration of a maximum of US$350 million may be paid under the agreement subject to certain conditions.[30]
In June 2021, new publishing label Prime Matter announced Saber Interactive was developing a new entry in the Painkiller franchise. In that same month, Warhorse Studios announced that Saber Interactive will be developing a Kingdom Come: Deliverance port for the Nintendo Switch.[31]
In March 2024, following earlier reports,[37] Embracer Group announced that it would divest Saber Interactive by selling it to Beacon Interactive, a company owned by Karch, for US$247 million. As part of the deal, Saber Interactive retained the Saber-branded studios, 3D Realms, Digic Pictures, Fractured Byte, Mad Head Games, New World Interactive, Nimble Giant Entertainment, Sandbox Strategies, SmartPhone Labs, Slipgate Ironworks, and Stuntworks, as well as their associated intellectual properties, whereas Embracer Group kept 34BigThings, Aspyr, Beamdog, Demiurge Studios, Shiver Entertainment (later sold to Nintendo), Snapshot Games, Tripwire Interactive, and Tuxedo Labs.[38][39] Beacon Interactive was also given the option to buy 4A Games and Zen Studios at a later date, but both studios ultimately stayed with Embracer Group.[40]
