Saber Interactive has denied a former writer’s claim that she was replaced by ChatGPT during development of Rideshare Stimulator, a new driving game with clear echoes of Crazy Taxi and a bleak late-capitalist setting.
The project first attracted attention after its reveal included an apparent jab at Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford. It is now facing scrutiny over its use of generative AI and the treatment of its former lead writer, Stella Sacco.
Former writer says ChatGPT took over midway through development
Sacco said on Bluesky that she had been the lead writer on Rideshare Stimulator before Saber replaced her with ChatGPT partway through production. She also claimed that the passenger voices in the game were generated using AI.
“I was lead writer on this one! And Saber replaced me with ChatGPT midway through development,” Sacco wrote.
Sacco later clarified that she had not seen the game’s announcement before making the comment. She suggested the project may have changed direction, or that its AI involvement was not fully disclosed on Steam. Her original post is available through Stella Sacco’s Bluesky account.
This was not the first time Sacco had described an experience involving generative AI at Saber. In December, she said she had been “replaced” by ChatGPT on an unnamed game. She also claimed that the decision to use generative AI in Rideshare Stimulator came from Saber, which published the game, rather than its developer, UNIGINE.
Saber says the story was written by people
In a statement provided to PC Gamer, Saber Interactive’s public relations team rejected the replacement claim.
“Neither Saber nor Unigine have replaced any writers with AI for Rideshare or any other game. Rideshare’s story was written entirely by real people.”
However, the same statement confirmed that the game will use generative AI in an experimental free-ride mode. Saber said this was necessary because the game features an “infinite” number of NPC passengers. The company added that it supports AI tools intended to improve gameplay experiences and NPC behaviour.
AI passengers remain part of the game’s design
That explanation leaves an important distinction: Saber denies replacing writers, while acknowledging that generative AI will help produce the passenger experience. The statement indicates that AI-generated text and voices will be used for NPCs in the free-ride mode.
The trailer has also drawn attention for the apparent mismatch between passenger speech and facial animation. The dialogue and mouth movements looked noticeably out of sync, recalling the rougher presentation associated with games from the PlayStation 2 era.
Sacco responded to Saber’s statement on Bluesky, pointing out the tension between saying that human writers created the story and confirming the use of AI-generated text and voices.
The dispute sits within a wider conversation about authorship, synthetic performances and procedural content in games. For more coverage of arcade and gaming news, explore the RETROCADE Arcade Blog, or compare the design of modern driving games with racing simulators and other arcade machines.
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