Saber Interactive CEO Matthew Karch has issued an apology to writer Stella Sacco, who claimed she was fired from the studio's AI Rideshare Stimulator and replaced by a large language model. This apology, however, was followed by Karch publicly criticizing Chet Faliszek, a writer known for his work on Valve's Portal series, for a video essay that discussed Karch's earlier controversial statements.
Sacco shared on Bluesky that Karch had apologized to her privately for his comments regarding her employment and capabilities. While Sacco stated that she and Karch still disagree on the use of AI in game development, she acknowledged the apology, noting that such gestures are "simply in too short supply these days."
Karch later posted on LinkedIn, reflecting on the controversy. He emphasized the importance of resolving disputes through direct, personal communication rather than public statements or media escalations. "If you cross a line, own it directly with the person involved," he wrote. This post appeared to allude to his apology to Sacco.
However, Karch's LinkedIn post also included a pointed remark aimed at an unnamed critic. He described a "26-minute video essay from an unsuccessful writer dedicated entirely to analyzing a single sarcastic quote of mine and pretending he knew exactly who I am." Karch suggested that such criticism, which he characterized as devolving into "personal insults and threats," reflects more on the creator than the subject. He warned against relying on "outrage algorithms for industry insights."
PC Gamer identified the video as likely being Chet Faliszek's August 14th YouTube video. In the 26-minute critique, Faliszek discussed Karch's behavior and statements, questioning his competence and suggesting that Karch's actions might be a form of control over his employees. Faliszek also encouraged viewers to mock Karch if they encountered him at industry events.
Faliszek's video primarily argued that Karch's public statement to This Week in Video Games was a significant public relations misstep that exacerbated the controversy surrounding AI use in Rideshare Stimulator. Despite Karch's own stated conclusion that such disputes should be handled by a communications team and not commented on directly, he proceeded to escalate the situation by identifying Faliszek's critique. This action effectively broadened the narrative from an internal studio controversy to a public dispute between the Saber CEO and a prominent game writer.