Space Marine 2 developer studio boss prophesies the death of AAA games

Recently, Saber Interactive's head, Matthew Karch, shared his perspective on the future of gaming, suggesting the era of exorbitant AAA game budgets is nearing its end. Karch, whose company developed Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, stated: “I think the era of $200, $300, $400 million AAA games is coming to an end. I don't think it's necessary. And I don't think it's appropriate… I think if anything has contributed to job losses [mass layoffs in the game industry] more than anything else, it's a budget of a few hundred million dollars [for games].”

This sentiment echoes a growing concern among developers. The term "AAA," once synonymous with high budgets, superior quality, and low risk, is now viewed by some as representing a profit-driven competition that compromises quality and innovation.

Revolution Studios co-founder, Charles Cecil, called the term "silly and meaningless," attributing the shift to major publishers' large-scale investments in video games, a change he considers negative. He explained, "It's a meaningless and silly term. It's a holdover from a period when things were changing, but not in a positive way." Ubisoft's Skull and Bones, marketed as a "AAAA" title, is cited as a prime example of this trend.