Another installment for the Warhammer 40K game series has been released today, September 9, 2024, with Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 quickly receiving acclaim and high pre-sales. However, not everything is ideal about the title. The game was made by the Russian game developer Saber Interactive, with co-founders having Russian origin and the majority of the team still being based in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Is Saber Interactive a Russian game studio?

Shortly speaking, yes. But the long answer is more complicated.

Saber Interactive is technically an American company headquartered in Florida, USA. However, it was founded by Andrei Yones, Matthew Karch, and Anton Krupkin in St. Petersburg in 2001. 

  • Since 2016, the company has opened its first studios outside of Russia — in Spain, Sweden, and Belarus. 

  • In February 2020, the company was acquired by the Swedish video game holding company Embracer Group in a deal worth $525 million.

  • Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Embracer Group decided to exit the Russian market only in March 2024, selling Saber Interactive to Beacon Interactive, controlled by Saber Interactive co-founder Matthew Karch, for just $247 million. In a manner of speaking, Saber Interactive somehow managed to acquire itself.

Although the company manages to avoid American and European sanctions against Russian and its businesses by having a legal entity in the US, Saber Interactive still has a Russian office of over 700 employees.

  • The company states on its Russian website that it had 700 employees as of 2022. However, its LinkedIn page shows that the employee count can be much higher: up to 900 associated members, with over 400 stationed in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Screenshot: Saber Interactive LinkedIn page

  • The same website states that the company is legally registered in Russia, as “САБЕР ИНТЕРАКТИВ СГС”, headquartered in St. Petersburg, 33 Engels avenue. According to the text on the website, the Russian team is actively working on several projects including Space Marine 2, and the upcoming title A Quiet Place: The Game.

Screenshot: Saber Interactive website

  • Furthermore, Saber Interactive has a very active Russian community and presence on the Russian social media VK.com, which only reinforces the connection.

Why should I care if the game is good?

After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, every Russian company and citizen who pays taxes is directly responsible for enabling the terror the Russian army unleashes on Ukrainians daily.

According to the Russian Tinkoff bank’s website and several other sources, Saber Interactive has made ₽1,16 billion ($12,21 million) in revenues at the end of 2023.

Screenshot: Russia’s Tinkoff Bank website

Taking into account the taxation system in Russia, Saber Interactive must have paid over ₽232 million ($2,44 million) in taxes at the end of 2023 (take note, that we excluded personal taxes the employees pay).

This is enough to equip and send up to 1110 soldiers to the frontline to kill Ukrainian citizens, as well as buy up to 111 Shahed-136 attack drones to destroy Ukrainian homes and civil infrastructure.

To put it crudely, an average gamer, who buys Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 for $59.99, helps the company to fund the Russian army with almost $12, which is already enough to harm and kill dozens of innocents.

Coincidentally, this is the second Warhammer 40K title produced by a Russian game developer in recent times. In December 2023, Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader got released to public outrage, as its C-level employees were caught using ethnic slurs towards Ukrainians.