Halo: Combat Evolved Remake Was Developed For Free Exposure— And It Worked

The 2011 remake of Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary was a pivotal moment for the then-independent studio Saber Interactive, who offered to take on the project for free. Here's how this bold move transformed their fortunes and led them to work on a beloved franchise.

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 story behind their pitch to Microsoft. Karch boldly stated that his studio would remaster the first Halo game for free, simply because "it's Halo." The Xbox executive present was taken aback, but Karch saw it as a strategic move for his young, independent studio. He 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.'"

Despite proposing a low bid of $4 million at Microsoft's request, Saber Interactive received no royalties from the project due to specific contract clauses. Nevertheless, the exposure from working on Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, released on Xbox 360 in 2011, set the stage for future opportunities.

From Relying On Publishers To Becoming One Themselves

The initial loss turned into a significant gain when Microsoft contracted Saber to contribute to Halo: The Master Chief Collection alongside other developers like Bungie and 343 Industries. Additionally, Saber was tasked with porting Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary to the Xbox One. However, Microsoft nearly overlooked sending a contract for this port until just before the collection's release.

Karch refused to sign the new contract unless the royalty-killing clauses from the previous agreement were removed. Microsoft agreed, and Saber was handsomely compensated for their work on The Master Chief Collection, receiving tens of millions of dollars. This payout was crucial for Saber, enabling them to pursue larger and more lucrative projects. Karch reflected, "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 Halo, Saber Interactive expanded significantly, opening new studios in Spain, Sweden, and Belarus, and acquiring other studios like Binary Motion and New World Interactive. They worked on high-profile projects such as the Nintendo Switch port of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and developed World War Z.

In February 2020, Embracer Group acquired Saber Interactive, but the studio maintained its autonomy as a direct subsidiary. Under Embracer, Saber continued to grow, acquiring more subsidiaries and developing games like Evil Dead: The Game. However, financial challenges 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, Saber's CCO Tim Willits reassured fans on X (formerly Twitter) that the studio's projects would continue uninterrupted. Saber Interactive is currently working on several titles, including Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 (released in September 2024), John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando, and Jurassic Park: Survival.