The Rideshare 'Stimulator' AI Dispute: What Happened Between Former Lead Writer Stella Sacco and Saber Interactive

In August 2025, a public dispute erupted between former lead writer Stella Sacco and Saber Interactive over the use of generative AI in the upcoming game Rideshare 'Stimulator'. The controversy touches on employment, creative credit, AI transparency, and Steam store policy compliance.

Sacco's Allegation: Replaced by ChatGPT

On August 11, 2025, narrative designer Stella Sacco posted on Bluesky that she was the former lead writer on Saber Interactive and UNIGINE's upcoming game Rideshare "Stimulator" and that Saber had replaced her with ChatGPT midway through development. She also stated that all passenger voices in the game were AI-generated .

"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," Sacco wrote. "All the passenger voices were AI too" . She suggested the studio may have either changed direction without informing her or was failing to disclose AI use on the game's Steam page.

Saber's Denial — With a Caveat

In a statement to GamesRadar+, Saber CEO Matthew Karch flatly denied that any writer had been replaced with AI "for Rideshare or any other game." Karch stated the game's story was written entirely by real writers and noted that Saber's staff of writers has tripled since 2023 .

However, Karch confirmed that an "experimental" free-ride mode in Rideshare 'Stimulator' does use AI-generated dialog. He explained this was a matter of "necessity" because "the number of passengers in the game is infinite" . This admission created a paradox: Saber denied replacing a writer with AI while simultaneously confirming that AI generates player-facing content in the game.

The Steam Disclosure Gap

Multiple outlets noted that the Steam store page for Rideshare 'Stimulator' did not include any AI disclosure label . Since January 2024, Valve has required developers to publicly disclose on the store page when a game ships generative-AI–produced content that is consumed by players (as opposed to behind-the-scenes workflow tools) . The policy was updated in January 2026 to clarify that internal efficiency tools are exempt, but AI-generated content that appears in the game or in marketing materials still requires disclosure .

The absence of a disclosure on the game's page raised questions about whether Saber was in compliance with Valve's policies. Saber did not directly address the omission.

Sacco's Rebuttal

In response to Saber's denial, Sacco pushed back. She reiterated that she was removed from the project and that ChatGPT was used to write the remaining text and live-update content. She framed her account not as a misunderstanding but as a factual report of her experience .

Bottom Line: A He-Said/She-Said With Clear Implications

The dispute remains unresolved on the core question: Saber officially denies swapping any writer for AI, while Sacco maintains she was taken off the project so ChatGPT could finish the work. Both sides agree that AI-generated dialog exists in the game's experimental free-ride mode, and Saber has not explained why no AI disclosure appears on the Steam page under Valve's policies.

This case highlights the growing tensions between creative workers and studios exploring generative AI tools, as well as the challenges of enforcing transparency policies on major game storefronts.