Following the backlash to Rideshare Stimulator’s use of generative AI, developer Saber Interactive has reassured Warhammer 40,000 followers that the know-how will not be in Space Marine 3 in any means.
Followers of House Marine 2 had expressed concern concerning the hotly-anticipated House Marine 3 and AI when Saber confirmed generative AI had been used to develop Rideshare Stimulator, together with speech and textual content in its Free Journey mode.
Amid the controversy, Saber CEO Matthew Karch grew to become embroiled in a public back-and-forth with former Rideshare Stimulator writer Stella Sacco, who said that she had been “changed” by ChatGPT after her departure from the venture in 2023 — a declare Karch denied.
“My PR group is at all times terrified by even broaching the topic however I might be blissful to have interaction in an affordable dialog about how AI can and may assist form gamer experiences,” Karch instructed IGN on the time. “It is not and has by no means been about efficiencies and group reductions. Moderately it is about how AI can enhance the sport expertise.
The incident left the Steam discussion board for Rideshare Stimulator full of complaints, with many calling for an AI disclosure on Valve’s platform. Steam coverage requires builders to report seen and in-game AI, however not background instruments. An AI message was eventually added.
The Rideshare Stimulator controversy spilled over into the House Marine neighborhood, the place followers of House Marine and House Marine 2 — the latter an unlimited hit for each Warhammer 40,000 proprietor Video games Workshop and Saber Interactive — let their emotions be identified.
“House Marine 3 is f***ed,” stated redditor Curious-Analysis-559 whereas quoting Karch in a Space Marine subreddit thread upvoted 2,800 instances.
“I used to say Video games Workshop is just too controlling of Saber and of the House Marine video games,” added PacoThePersian. “Possibly I used to be judging too unexpectedly.”
“I actually hope GW threatens him with a stick or one thing,” stated TardyTech4428. “AFAIK they’re very in opposition to utilizing AI in 40k tasks and I hope they preserve it that means.”
That final line is certainly true. In January, Video games Workshop banned the use of AI in its content production and design process, insisting that none of its senior managers have been at present excited concerning the know-how. Then, in July, Video games Workshop reiterated its anti-AI stance, and revealed it had launched investigations into recent marketing gaffes that some suspected were AI, to make sure employees have been enjoying by inner guidelines.
“As famous in our November 2025 half 12 months report, we aren’t being complacent on the subject, we’re rigorously monitoring what others are saying and doing,” Video games Workshop CEO Kevin Rountree stated on the time.
“We aren’t utilizing AI at Video games Workshop in our product design nor on the creation of our IP, it will shield the integrity and possession of our IP. We now have made a number of human errors on the depiction of our merchandise in our product advertising within the 12 months, they have been investigated totally to make sure that AI had not been used and that each one our employees are following our inner insurance policies.”
So, throughout an interview with Saber improvement chief Tim Willits at gamescom, I needed to seek out out what, precisely, was being completed with generative AI at Saber, and got here away with affirmation that it isn’t getting used for House Marine 3’s improvement in any respect. Certainly, Willits promised generative AI would not be present in any of Saber’s licensed titles, together with Hellraiser: Revival, Stuntman: Hollywood, and Jurassic Park: Survival.
“There’s completely no generative AI in House Marine 3 or Hellraiser or Stuntman or Turok or Jurassic Park, or Wick,” Willits stated. “However like we stated, we’ll experiment with it. Attempt it out in Rideshare, see if it really works. See if folks prefer it. If they do not prefer it, we’re like, ‘All proper.’
“It is a rideshare simulator,” Willits continued, saying a few of Saber’s video games are applicable for this type of experimentation whereas others should not. “If you are going to experiment, it is a good one to experiment on. You already know what I am saying?”
After I identified Video games Workshop’s anti-AI stance, Willits stated Saber follows the lead of every license proprietor it really works with, akin to Lionsgate, Common, and Paramount. However, on House Marine 3 particularly, I needed to make the AI scenario further clear. “We’re good,” Willits stated.
So, no generative AI in House Marine 3, which suggests no AI-generated dialogue, no AI-generated voices, and no AI-generated paintings. That will probably be excellent news for Warhammer 40,000’s very, very vocal fanbase, which retains a detailed eye on official paintings particularly for any hint of AI use.
Nonetheless, Willits sounded, on the whole, within the potential of AI in improvement, which he believes has but to be correctly found out. “If anybody tells you that they’ve it found out, they do not,” he insisted. “It’s going to take a pair years and issues will settle out and we’ll determine it out.”
“We have at all times been utilizing AI in some stretch of the creativeness, however we as in builders, we do not actually know what to do with it. Actually, we do not,” Willits stated. “If anybody tells you they do, they do not. After which gamers, they do not actually know what to do with it. So I do imagine that is going to occur. Any person — I do not know who — any individual will give you a recreation that’s so freaking cool that it’ll change everybody’s opinion and it will be like, ‘Oh, that is it.’ After which issues will settle.
“And we’re nonetheless making an attempt to determine it out. We haven’t any solutions. We’re guessing, to be trustworthy. However we’re doing a little experimentation. We’ll see if it really works out, does not work out.”
There’s no launch window for House Marine 3, but it surely’s deep in improvement at Saber Interactive as we communicate. House Marine 2, in the meantime, continues to be going sturdy with a 3rd 12 months of DLC help set to kick off quickly.
Wesley is Director, Information at IGN. Discover him on Twitter at @wyp100. You possibly can attain Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.