Saber Interactive Executive Claims 'This Is a Great Time to Be in the Industry' Despite Widespread Layoffs

Despite a prolonged period of industry-wide instability marked by massive layoffs and rising hardware costs, Saber Interactive Chief Creative Officer Tim Willits believes that the current landscape is "actually, honestly, a good time" for the video game industry. In a recent interview with PC Gamer, Willits pointed to the widespread accessibility of modern platforms, such as mobile phones and cloud-based systems like Fortnite, as a major reason for optimism.

Addressing the high prices of hardware components like RAM and GPUs, Willits suggested that developers can bypass expensive PC hardware entirely. "Yes, RAM is expensive. Yes, GPUs are expensive," Willits acknowledged. "But your phone is—you already have your phone. Make a game there." He emphasized that a handful of talented individuals can now put an independent game on almost any platform, or create a cloud-based project, and potentially produce a major hit.

Willits also addressed the tens of thousands of game developers who have lost their jobs in recent years. While describing the layoffs as "always sad," he encouraged affected workers to band together with friends and utilize accessible tools to develop independent projects, noting that doing so does not require a massive development budget. For those who do not go the independent route, Willits expressed belief that they would eventually be "reabsorbed" by other companies, predicting that news of such hiring would emerge soon.

However, industry data presents a more difficult reality for displaced workers. According to the Game Developers Conference (GDC) State of the Game Industry Report, one-third of United States games industry workers experienced layoffs over a two-year period, with nearly half of those affected unable to find new employment within the sector. Furthermore, major corporations historically capable of absorbing talent in large volumes—such as Microsoft, Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, and Saber Interactive's former parent company Embracer—have instead been continuously cutting their own workforces.