On March 14, it was announced that Saber Interactive would be splitting off from the Embracer Group, with the latter divesting select assets to a new owner.
After going through a huge spending spree, hoovering up multiple video game studios and IPs, Embracer Group began shutting down several of those studios starting in June 2023, resulting in many job losses and canceled projects. Saber Interactive’s situation is different, though, since it will continue to operate… but not all of it has been sold off.
So, let’s break down precisely what Saber Interactive is, why it’s left Embracer, and how this has affected both companies.
What is Saber Interactive?
Saber Interactive is a game developer based in Floria that’s been operating since 2001. For roughly 20 years, it either worked on its own original titles under different publishers, such as Ubisoft and Bandai Namco, or on established IPs and ports. Microsoft enslisted Saberto help remake the first Halo game, and the developer partnered with CD Projekt Red on the Nintendo Switch port of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. In 2020, Embracer Group acquired Saber Interactive for $525 million (via GamesIndustry.biz), and the studio soon became a platform for other Embracer acquisitions, gaining multiple subsidiaries over the following years.
As of March 14, though, Saber Interactive has been sold for $247 million to a new company called Beacon Interactive, which is owned and controlled by one Matt Karlach, one of the original co-founders of Saber Interactive. The studio has also taken with it 38 ongoing game development projects and a select number of its subsidiaries.
Why has Saber Interactive left Embracer Group?
According to a statement published by Embracer Group on March 14, this is part of the company’s restructuring efforts. Said efforts also include the closure of studios like Free Radical and widespread layoffs, which appear to have resulted from a failed $2 billion deal with the Saudi government funded Savvy Games Group (via IGN).
Lars Wingefors, co-founder and Group CEO of Embracer, called this the “first transaction of the previously mentioned structured processes” and “a small but important step in our journey to transform Embracer into the future for the benefit of all employees, gamers, and shareholders.” This decision has also reduced Embracer’s debt by about SEK 2.1 billion (roughly $203 million) and allowed Embracer to cease all operations in Russia “while safeguarding many developer jobs under new independent ownership.”
Which studios and IPs has Saber Interactive kept after leaving Embracer Group?
As mentioned, not all of Saber Interactive’s studios and game projects have been divested; some remain with Embracer. Below is a list of all the Saber subsidiaries that it retains as part of Beacon Interactive, as well as any examples of key titles those subsidiaries have worked on:
- All Saber branded studios
- 3D Realms (Ion Fury, the Duke Nukem series)
- 4A Games (Metro series)
- DIGIC Pictures (a 3D animation studio)
- Fractured Byte (support studio, has helped port Borderlands Legendary Collection and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2)
- Mad Head Games (Scars Above)
- New World Interactive (Insurgency series)
- Nimble Giant Entertainment (Star Trek Infinite)
- Sandbox Strategies (PR agency)
- Slipgate Ironworks (Graven, co-developer on Ghostrunner)
- Zen Studios (Zen Pinball)
As for the studios remaining with Embracer, those are:
- 34 Big Things (Redout)
- Aspyr (Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered, Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection)
- Beamdog (Mythforce, Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition)
- Demiurge Studios (Marvel Puzzle Quest, Sega Heroes)
- Shiver Entertainment (Nintendo Switch port of Mortal Kombat 1, Scribblenauts Showdown)
- Snapshot Games (Phoenix Point)
- Tripwire Interactive (Killing Floor series, Maneater)
- Tuxedo Labs (Teardown)
This also means some projects will continue to be developed under Embracer. The company said it has retained 14 games, two of which are joint projects with Beacon Interactive, and the list includes:
- The next AAA game from 4A Games
- An unannounced concept phase AAA game
- A previously announced AAA game based on a major license
- A new AAA multiplayer shooter based on a controlled IP
- A new AA game based on an Asmodee IP
- A new AA game from 34 Big Things based on an owned IP
- Killing Floor 3
- Teardown (ongoing development)
This is expected to include the long awaited remake of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, which has been MIA since its 2021 announcement. It was initially said to be in development at Aspyr, but was reportedly moved to Saber Interactive in 2022. Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier has claimed the remake will continue to be worked on by Saber following its split from Embracer, but considering one of the aforementioned joint projects is “a previously announced AAA game based on a major license,” it’s probably safe to assume Embracer will remain involved with the remake.
In a conference call covering the deal, as reported by VGC, Wingefors was asked when the joint licensed AAA project would launch, to which he ruled out it arriving within the next 12 months. “I think that kind of game needs some deep love and respect, so without giving full color, I think it’s some time left until that is released,” Wingefors said. When questioned about whether this project was Knights of the Old Republic and who is in charge of it, Wingefors said he had no further comments.
