Here’s something that’s very much not pleasant to read. A former writer at Saber Interactive claims she was replaced by ChatGPT right in the middle of developing their game Rideshare Stimulator… but the story doesn’t end there. In fact, it’s much more complicated. It actually involves a minor feud between two studios, Saber and Gearbox, which were once part of the same group: Embracer.

Let’s provide a bit of context for this story. Earlier this week, an announcement trailer for Rideshare, Saber’s new title, was released on the PlayStation channel. Hidden within it are several subtle jabs at Randy Pitchford, the head of Gearbox, referencing unflattering details about him. Matt Karch, Saber’s CEO, confirmed that this was indeed intentional and that it was a response to the attacks Pitchford had made earlier this year. The two CEOs are engaged in a sort of ego war.

Let’s get back to the connection with former Saber Interactive writer Stella Sacco. When the trailer was released, she recognized the game on which she had served as lead writer. After being removed from the project in favor of ChatGPT in 2023, an event she took badly, she decided to speak out publicly on her Bluesky account.

"I didn’t even see this had been announced. I was lead writer on this one! And Saber replaced me with ChatGPT midway through development. All the passenger voices were AI too. Either they changed direction at some point or they’re not disclosing it on Steam."

Saber Interactive denies this, however, and stated that they have not replaced the writers for Rideshare or any other game with AI. They added that, in fact, Saber’s writing team has tripled in size since 2023, and confirmed that the story for Rideshare was written entirely by real people.

Yet another story where it’s hard to tell fact from fiction, one that’s likely to linger in the news for a few more years, until one of the two CEOs decides to stir things up again and take another jab at his former colleague.

To end on a positive note, check out the trailer for Rideshare Stimulator right here: