Key takeaways
- Saber CEO Matthew Karch admitted he would have preferred to replace fired writer Stella Sacco with AI, escalating a disclosure controversy over Rideshare Simulator.
- Saber initially denied replacing writers with AI while simultaneously confirming AI use in the game's free-ride mode with infinite passengers.
- Sacco alleged the AI decision was driven by marketing strategy and c-level pressure, contradicting Saber's claim that the technology was a technical necessity.
- Steam's discussion section erupted in debate over undisclosed AI use, exposing the platform's reliance on publisher honesty rather than independent verification.
Rideshare Simulator, Saber Interactive’s satirical take on gig-economy driving, has become the flashpoint for an intensifying debate over artificial intelligence’s role in game development and publisher transparency. The conflict between a former lead writer and the publisher’s CEO has exposed a rift not just over creative decisions, but over how much the gaming industry should disclose its use of generative AI tools to players.
The Writer’s Accusation
Narrative designer Stella Sacco, who worked as a lead writer at Saber Interactive on titles including Stuntman Hollywood until 2024, publicly accused the publisher of replacing her with ChatGPT “midway through development” of Rideshare Simulator. Her claim emerged nearly two weeks after a brief trailer promoting the game, but gained traction when she alleged that the decision to implement AI came directly from Saber as publisher, not from Unigine, the game’s developer. Sacco further charged that the studio did not disclose this use of generative AI tools on the game’s Steam store page.
The timing of the accusation, combined with her assertion that she had been terminated for reasons unrelated to this disclosure, framed the narrative as one of wrongful removal and corporate coverup. Sacco’s credibility derived partly from her explicit role: she had been responsible for writing the game’s narrative content and understood the scope of what she was being replaced with.
Saber’s Contradictory Response
Denial Followed by Admission
Saber Interactive’s first move was to push back hard. In a statement to PC Gamer, a company representative flatly denied the accusation: “Neither Saber nor Unigine have replaced any writers with AI for Rideshare or any other game.” This categorical denial, however, came with an immediate qualifier that undermined its absoluteness. The same statement acknowledged that generative AI was indeed being used in the game, though only in a specific context. “The game will also feature an experimental, free-ride mode that by necessity incorporates AI as the number of passengers in the game is infinite,” the spokesperson explained, framing the technology as a technical necessity rather than a creative choice born from economic or strategic considerations.
The Gap Between Denial and Reality
The distinction Saber drew—denying that writers were replaced while confirming AI use—highlighted a semantic argument that would not satisfy critics. If the “free-ride mode” generated passenger dialogue, passenger narratives, or environmental storytelling text, then generative AI was indeed performing narrative work regardless of whether it technically “replaced” a specific full-time employee in title.
Matthew Karch’s Inflammatory Statement
Saber CEO Matthew Karch chose to engage directly with the controversy in a personal statement to This Week In Video Games, and in doing so, escalated rather than de-escalated the situation. His opening line set the combative tone: “Stella who?” followed by the assertion that “I had to ask Claude because I have never spoken to her or seen her.”
Beyond the dismissive framing, Karch’s statement contained several substantive claims. He reaffirmed that Saber would update Rideshare Simulator’s Steam page to disclose AI use once the feature set was finalized. He also introduced a novel argument about creative credit: “Let me clarify that the entire story script, were it to win an award, would go to someone who can walk up on stage and receive it. It was always our intention to reveal this until Stella violated her confidentiality clause and revealed this before we were ready.”
The most incendiary portion came near the end. Karch stated that Sacco “was replaced by someone more talented and terminated for a variety of reasons a few months later,” then added: “I would frankly in retrospect have been happy to replace her with AI. At least we would be dealing with someone programmed to be honest.” He also characterized the game’s AI use as “a plus for consumers” given that Rideshare Simulator would be “a lower priced title.”
What Stella Says Actually Happened
In response to Karch’s statement, Sacco doubled down on her original claims and added detail about the internal decision-making process. She described a situation in which her immediate manager at Saber had “argued over and over with the c-level who pushed the AI,” making the case that the studio already had capable in-house talent. According to her account, her manager had said: “We already have Stella and she’s funny and she’s good at this, she’s done live games before so live ops are no problem.”
Sacco’s characterization of the executive decision framed it as a marketing calculation rather than a creative or technical imperative. She alleged that the c-level leadership insisted that “gamers love new tech” and that using AI would be “great publicity for the game”—a statement that contrasts sharply with Saber’s official position that AI was required because of the infinite passenger count in the free-ride mode. Sacco also called Karch’s statement “remarkably pathetic for the CEO of any company to be making,” and predicted it would damage Saber’s reputation more than her own disclosure could.
The Steam Disclosure Gap
The controversy has transformed Rideshare Simulator’s Steam discussion section from a quiet storefront into a battleground of player opinion. Discussions now center on the game’s failure to disclose AI use upfront and the authenticity of Saber’s claims about why that technology was necessary. Steam’s policy places the burden of honesty on developers and publishers themselves; Valve does not independently verify or mandate disclosure of generative AI involvement before a game launches.
Players who had wishlisted the game found themselves learning about its AI components not through official channels but through a controversy involving a fired developer and a CEO’s personal attack. The sequence of events—initial denial, then admission of limited AI use, then a combative CEO statement—created an appearance of obfuscation even if Saber’s technical justification for the free-ride mode had merit.
Broader Questions for the Industry
The Rideshare Simulator saga raises questions that extend beyond a single publisher and game. It demonstrates the tension between AI’s potential cost savings and speed-to-market, the difficulty of separating technical necessity from business preference, and the challenge of maintaining player trust when disclosure lags behind actual implementation. Sacco’s role as a narrative professional whose expertise was deemed replaceable also touches on broader concerns about AI’s impact on creative labor in game development. Karch’s statement, far from resolving the dispute, appears to have intensified scrutiny of both his judgment and Saber’s commitment to transparent communication with its audience.
Frequently Asked Questions
What game is at the center of this AI controversy?
Rideshare Simulator, a satirical gig-economy driving game published by Saber Interactive and developed by Unigine.
Did Saber actually replace the writer with ChatGPT?
Saber denies replacing any writers with AI while confirming AI is used in the experimental free-ride mode to generate content for infinite passengers. Stella Sacco claimed the decision was made midway through development.
What did CEO Matthew Karch say about the controversy?
Karch stated he had never met Sacco, said she was replaced by someone more talented, and remarked that he would have been happy to replace her with AI instead.
