Halo Remake Boosted Exposure, Effortless Growth

The 2011 remake of Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary: A Bold Gamble That Paid Off

Saber Interactive, then an independent studio, took a significant risk when they offered to develop the Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary remake for free. This audacious move, detailed in an interview with Game File's Stephen Totilo, was orchestrated by CEO Matthew Karch. His rationale? The unparalleled prestige of working on such a massive franchise would be invaluable for a young studio seeking market visibility. "It’s like putting a Harvard diploma on your wall," Karch explained. The gamble was to accept a potential financial loss in exchange for the unparalleled exposure and future opportunities that working on a globally recognized IP like Halo would provide.

While initially proposing a $4 million bid to Microsoft, contractual clauses ultimately resulted in Saber receiving no royalties from the Xbox 360 release. However, this initial sacrifice proved to be a strategic masterstroke.

Subsequently, Saber was contracted for the Halo: The Master Chief Collection, including porting Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary to the Xbox One. Karch leveraged this opportunity to renegotiate, demanding the removal of the royalty-killing clauses from the previous contract. Microsoft agreed, and Saber received a substantial payout in the tens of millions of dollars. This windfall provided the financial foundation for significant growth.

Saber Interactive's trajectory since then has been remarkable. They expanded globally, establishing studios across multiple countries and acquiring other game development companies. Notable projects include the Nintendo Switch port of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and the development of World War Z. While acquired by Embracer Group in 2020, Saber was later reacquired by CEO Karch's Beacon Interactive, retaining all Saber-branded studios and intellectual properties. Despite this change, CCO Tim Willits confirmed continued development on projects like Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 (released September 2024), John Carpenter's Toxic Commando, and Jurassic Park: Survival. The Halo gamble ultimately transformed Saber Interactive from an independent studio into a major player in the video game industry.