Halo: Combat Evolved Remake Was Developed For Free Exposure— And It Worked
The 2011 remake of Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary marked a pivotal moment for the then-independent studio Saber Interactive. Offered to develop the game for free, this bold move not only showcased their capabilities but also set the stage for their future success. Dive into the story of how a small indie team leveraged a major franchise to catapult their career.
Saber Interactive Offered To Do Halo For Free
A Huge Opportunity For An Independent Studio
In a revealing interview with journalist Stephen Totilo for Game File, Saber Interactive's CEO and co-founder Matthew Karch shared the audacious pitch they made to Microsoft for remastering the iconic Halo game. Karch's proposition was straightforward yet shocking: "Because it’s Halo," he would do the project for free.
The Xbox executive present was taken aback by this offer, but Karch saw it as a strategic move. At the time, Saber was a fledgling indie studio eager to make its mark. Karch explained, "It’s the biggest franchise in the world at the time. I said: ‘It’s like putting a Harvard diploma on your wall. Everyone in the world is going to want to work with me after they see that I’ve worked on this last Halo game, and it is going to open up doors. So I’ll suck it up and I’ll do it at a loss.'"
This gamble paid off. Saber secured the project and launched Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary on the Xbox 360 in 2011. Although Karch initially proposed a low bid of $4 million at Microsoft's request, the studio ended up receiving zero royalties due to specific contract clauses.
From Relying On Publishers To Becoming One Themselves
Despite the financial hit from the initial remake, Saber's fortunes turned when Microsoft contracted them again to contribute to Halo: The Master Chief Collection. Alongside other developers like Bungie and 343 Industries, Saber was also tasked with porting Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary to the Xbox One.
However, Microsoft's oversight in sending the contract until just before the collection's release led to a critical moment. Karch refused to sign unless Microsoft removed the royalty-killing clauses from the previous contract. After negotiations, Microsoft agreed, and Saber was generously compensated, earning tens of millions of dollars from their work on The Master Chief Collection.
This substantial payout was a turning point for Saber. As Karch recalled to his partner and COO Andrey Iones, "We’ve watched other people make money on our work. Now we’re going to make money on our own."
Saber Interactive Now
Following their success with Microsoft, Saber Interactive expanded significantly. The company opened new studios in Spain, Sweden, and Belarus and acquired others like Binary Motion and New World Interactive. They also took on various projects, including the Nintendo Switch port of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt with CD Projekt Red and the development of World War Z.
In February 2020, Saber Interactive was acquired by the Embracer Group, becoming a direct subsidiary while retaining autonomy. Under Embracer, they continued to grow, developing games such as Evil Dead: The Game and acquiring more subsidiaries.
However, financial pressures led Embracer to sell Saber Interactive to Beacon Interactive, a company owned by Saber's CEO Karch, in a deal that allowed Saber to retain all its branded studios and IPs. Despite the change in ownership, CCO Tim Willits reassured fans via X (Twitter) that ongoing projects would continue as planned.
Currently, Saber Interactive is working on several exciting titles, including Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 (released in September 2024), John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando, and Jurassic Park: Survival.
