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Saber Interactive corporate and development controversies

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2026-08-16 01:56 UTC → 2026-08-16 18:53 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Saber Interactive has faced recent controversies regarding its upcoming title, Rideshare ~~Stimulator.~~ Simulator. Following the divestment of both Saber and Gearbox from the Embracer Group, Saber CEO Matt Karch confirmed that the game’s trailer includes intentional references to Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford. These references, such as a specific Texas license plate, were described as a response to perceived critiques of the Embracer Group within Gearbox’s Borderlands 4. Separately, the studio addressed allegations from former lead writer Stella Sacco, who claimed that human writers were replaced by ChatGPT during the game’s development. Sacco alleged that passenger dialogues were AI-generated and that the studio failed to disclose the use of generative technology on the game’s Steam page. In response, Karch denied these claims, stating that the game’s story was written entirely by humans and noting that the company’s writing staff has tripled since 2023. The studio clarified that while generative technologies are being used for an experimental free-ride mode to manage dynamic passenger entities, they are not replacing the writing staff. Following the controversy, Saber confirmed it will add an AI disclosure label to the game’s Steam page. The dispute intensified following personal remarks from Karch, who stated in an interview, “I would frankly in retrospect have been happy to replace her with AI. At least we would be dealing with someone programmed to be honest.” Sacco criticized these comments as “remarkably pathetic,” arguing that the push for AI was driven by marketing interests despite internal warnings. Following the public dispute, Karch issued an apology to Sacco for his manner of communication. He clarified that the integration of AI was intended to explore new player experiences rather than reduce costs, noting that the net costs for implementing these features were actually higher than omitting them.

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