Space Marine 2 is a new co-op shooter in the historically rich universe of Warhammer 40k. Twitch streamers like Asmongold and Shroud are celebrating the game. However, alleged statements from studio head Matthew Karch are now causing discussions.
What kind of comment is this? Under a video of Twitch streamer Asmongold about the current action hit Space Marine 2, a comment has appeared in the name of the CEO of Saber Interactive – that’s the studio behind the co-op shooter in the Warhammer universe.
In the comment, the supposed CEO Matthew Karch reveals himself as a fan of Asmongold and explains that Space Marine 2 is part of a series of games that are simply meant to be fun. In contrast, he would rather cry at modern games that “impose moral standards” on players.
You can read the full comment along with its translation here
Translation: “Hey. CEO of Saber here. I love your videos. When we signed the contract for Space Marine 2, all I wanted was a ‘throwback’ game. We had the chance to work on something that was inherently ‘old school’. Many of the current games we play nowadays are beyond my comprehension. They are too complex and a huge investment. We worked on Halo back then, and that game could be boiled down to the simplest shooting loops, but it was absolutely captivating. That’s something we wanted to reclaim. I hope games like Space Marine 2 and Wukong are the beginning of a return to a time when games were simply about fun and immersion. I spent some time as Chief Operating Officer at Embracer and saw games there that made me cry with their over-the-top attempts to convey a message or impose a moral on players. We just want to get in some glorious kills and raise the pulse a bit. To me, that’s what gaming should be about.”
The comment received 13,000 upvotes, including a like from Asmongold himself.
Asmongold enthusiastically agrees with the comment
How is this being discussed? Asmongold and his community celebrate themselves for the response. In the more than 700 replies under the comment, the CEO is referred to as a “gaming hero”, they thank him for his services, and praise Space Marine 2.
In a stream highlight on his clip channel, Asmongold enthusiastically agrees with the comment: that’s what everyone would think, except for a few activists. He really appreciates the CEO’s response, says the Twitch streamer (via YouTube).
Neither Asmongold nor his community seem to question the authenticity of the comment. However, it looks different when leaving the immediate vicinity of the streamer. A user on X points out that the account from which the comment originates appears suspicious:
The channel was created only in May 2024 and uses Black Myth: Wukong as an example. The success of Black Myth: Wukong on Steam has been hijacked by figures from the American gaming scene who pursue an “anti-woke” agenda.
Studio doesn’t want to admit whether the comment is genuine
Is the comment real? As of now, it’s impossible to say. Kotaku editor Ethan Gach reports on X that Saber Interactive neither confirms nor denies that the comment actually comes from their CEO.
Requests from gaming sites IGN and PCGamesN are said to have gone unanswered. We at MeinMMO have also sent a request to Saber and will update the article here if we receive a response.
Against the authenticity of the comment speaks the fact that Karch had prohibited any criticism of Embracer back in April 2024 (via Game Developer). Shortly thereafter, the questionable YouTube channel was created. It seems unusual for a studio head to engage so critically with the group to which the studio belongs.
In a discussion in a community forum on Steam, however, the authenticity is insisted upon. After all, the Creative Director of Space Marine 2, Oliver Hollis-Leick, also commented on Asmongold’s video. This is seen as evidence that Karch’s comment must also be authentic.
Indeed, Hollis-Leick’s channel appears more authentic and is filled with videos. However, in his comment, the Creative Director also limits himself to confirming that Asmongold’s statements about the story and characters reflect the developers’ approach – there’s no mention of imposed moral standards.
The discussion is part of the ongoing “Culture War” raging in the USA. There, some players seem to have a panicked fear of accidentally consuming a “woke” medium. The Warhammer franchise itself was recently criticized in this context: Fans accuse Warhammer 40,000 of selling them short to be “woke”.
