Matthew Karch, the CEO of Saber Interactive, recently commented that he intended for Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 to be a simple throwback game, and that he dislikes titles that “impose morals” on players. While some have seen these comments as offensive, others online agree with the sentiment, eager for more escapism in gaming as a whole.
“When we signed the deal to make Space Marine 2, all I wanted was a throwback game,” Karch said. “We had the chance to work on something which by its nature was ‘old school’. I can’t even comprehend many of the current games that we play these days. They are too complex and too much of an investment.
That is what we wanted to recapture. I hope that games like Space Marine 2 and Wukong are the start of a reversion to a time when games were simply about fun and immersion. I spent some time as Chief Operating Officer at Embracer and I saw games there that made me want to cry with their overblown attempts at messaging or imposing morals on gamers.”
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 was released on September 9, 2024 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. The game managed to attract over 2 million players on release day, with over 94% of critics recommending the title.
Embracer sold off Saber Interactive earlier this year for $247 million. Aside from their recent hit Warhammer title, Saber is most recently known for publishing Kingdom Come: Deliverance on Nintendo Switch.
The company will also act as the publisher for the upcoming Stormind Games title A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead.
