Saber Interactive

Saber Interactive Inc.

Company type	Private
Industry	Video games
Founded	2001 (2001)
Founder	Andrey Iones, Matthew Karch, Anton Krupkin
Headquarters	Fort Lauderdale , United States
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Matthew Karch (CEO), Andrey Iones (COO)
Products	Video games
Number of employees	1350+
Parent	Beacon Interactive (since 2024)

Saber Interactive Inc. is a United States-based video game developer and publisher with its main office located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Established in 2001 by Andrey Iones, Matthew Karch, and Anton Krupkin, the company employs more than 1,350 individuals. Saber focuses on both creating and publishing video games, which has contributed to its notable position within the industry.

In February 2020, Saber became part of the Embracer Group, strengthening Embracer's gaming portfolio. Nevertheless, due to financial difficulties in March 2024, Embracer sold Saber back to Beacon Interactive—an investment entity founded by CEO and co-founder Matthew Karch—thereby reinstating his leadership and strategic direction. By 2022, Saber had generated revenues near US$161.2 million, demonstrating considerable expansion in the competitive gaming sector.

History

Founded in 2001 by Andrey Iones, Matthew Karch, and Anton Krupkin, Saber Interactive developed its own proprietary 3D engine and launched its inaugural title, Will Rock. The company's Saber3D engine was introduced with the release of TimeShift (2007) and has been consistently enhanced for subsequent projects.

In 2010, Saber collaborated with Microsoft’s 343 Industries to create a remake of Halo: Combat Evolved for its tenth anniversary. This project combined the original gameplay engine with Saber's Saber3D technology for enhanced graphics. Released in 2011, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary was met with favorable reviews. Saber also played a role in developing Halo: The Master Chief Collection in 2014.

Starting in 2016, Saber expanded internationally by establishing studios in Madrid, Sundsvall (Sweden), and Minsk (Belarus). A partnership with CD Projekt Red followed in 2018 to bring The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition to the Nintendo Switch platform; this port was launched in 2019 to critical acclaim.

In April 2019, Saber released World War Z, which achieved sales exceeding one million copies within its first week. Later that year in August, Tim Willits from id Software joined Saber as chief creative officer.

October 2019 marked the acquisition of Bigmoon Entertainment based in Portugal, which was subsequently renamed Saber Porto. In February 2020, Embracer Group purchased Saber Interactive for US$525 million; Saber became Embracer’s fifth directly owned subsidiary while preserving operational independence. Founders Matthew Karch (CEO) and Andrey Iones (COO) remained at the helm.

Following this acquisition, Saber further expanded by acquiring several studios: in August 2020, it added 4A Games (known for the Metro series) and New World Interactive (creators of Insurgency: Sandstorm). November 2020 saw additional acquisitions including 34BigThings, Mad Head Games, Nimble Giant Entertainment, Snapshot Games, and Zen Studios. Todd Hollenshead, former CEO of id Software, joined as Head of Publishing.

At The Game Awards 2020, Saber announced Evil Dead: The Game. In February 2021, Embracer acquired Aspyr as a subsidiary under Saber for an initial payment of US$100 million plus performance-related payments potentially reaching US$350 million.

By mid-2021, Prime Matter revealed that Saber was working on a new installment of Painkiller. Additionally, Saber developed a Nintendo Switch version of Kingdom Come: Deliverance. Subsequent acquisitions included studios such as 3D Realms, Slipgate Ironworks, SmartPhone Labs, Demiurge Studios, Fractured Byte, Bytex, DIGIC Pictures, and Shiver Entertainment.

In March 2024, Embracer Group divested Saber Interactive to Beacon Interactive—owned by CEO Matthew Karch—in a transaction valued at US$247 million. Key studios like 3D Realms and New World Interactive along with their intellectual properties remained with Saber; meanwhile, Embracer retained other assets including Aspyr and Snapshot Games. Although Beacon held options on 4A Games and Zen Studios, these entities stayed under Embracer’s ownership.

Subsidiaries

Subsidiaries under Saber Interactive

Company	Headquarters	Template:Refh
3D Realms	Aalborg, Denmark	rowspan="18" Template:Centered
Bytex	Saransk, Russia
Digic Pictures	Budapest, Hungary
Fractured Byte	Tallinn, Estonia
Mad Head Games	Belgrade, Serbia
New World Interactive	Denver, Colorado, U.S.
Nimble Giant Entertainment	Buenos Aires, Argentina
Saber Armenia	Yerevan, Armenia
Saber Belarus	Minsk, Belarus
Saber London	London, England
Saber Madrid	Madrid, Spain
Saber Porto	Porto, Portugal
Saber St. Petersburg	Saint Petersburg, Russia
Saber Sweden	Sundsvall, Sweden
Sandbox Strategies	New York City, U.S.
Slipgate Ironworks	Aalborg, Denmark
SmartPhone Labs	Veliky Novgorod, Russia
Stuntworks	Saint Petersburg, Russia

Former subsidiaries

• 34BigThings (Turin, Italy); established in 2013, acquired in 2020, currently maintained by Embracer Group as of 2024.
• 4A Games (Sliema, Malta and Kyiv, Ukraine); founded in 2006, purchased in 2020, still held by Embracer Group.
• Aspyr (Austin, Texas, U.S.); founded in 1996, acquired in 2021, remains part of Embracer Group.
• Demiurge Studios (Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.); founded in 2002, acquired in 2021, retained by Embracer Group.
• Shiver Entertainment (Miami, Florida, U.S.); founded in 2012, acquired in 2021, divested to Nintendo in 2024.
• Snapshot Games (Sofia, Bulgaria); founded in 2013, acquired in 2020, still under Embracer Group ownership.
• Tripwire Interactive (Roswell, Georgia, U.S.); established in 2005, acquired in 2022, retained by Embracer Group.
• Tuxedo Labs (Malmö, Sweden); acquired in 2022 and continues to be owned by Embracer Group.
• Zen Studios (Budapest, Hungary); founded in 2003, acquired in 2020, remains with Embracer Group.