NFLPA sues video game developer for over $3 million
The union has been in arbitration with its licensee, Saber Interactive, since 2024
The National Football League Players Association sued its licensee, Saber Interactive, asking for over $3 million in missed payments, attorneys fees and interest from the video game developer. The attorney fees were substantial, consuming more than a quarter, or $878,216, of the financial demand.
The case has been ongoing since November 19, 2024, but behind the closed doors of arbitration. What brought it to light is an NFLPA filing on July 13 in federal court in the southern district of New York seeking a judicial order to enforce a purported win in that arbitration.
In 2023, the NFLPA and Saber jointly announced their new partnership https://nflpa.com/partners/posts/saber-interactive-teams-with-nflpa-to-bring-wild-card-football-to-consoles-pc-on-october-10-featuring-hundreds-of-pro-football-superstars, “Saber Interactive, in partnership with the NFL Players Association and OneTeam Partners, is excited to announce the latest installment in the bestselling arcade-sports Playgrounds franchise: Wild Card Football. This over-the-top, pick-up-and-play video game features an authentic roster of hundreds of pro football superstars, including Colin Kaepernick, Jalen Hurts, Patrick Mahomes, Justin Jefferson, T.J. Watt, Joey Bosa, Ja’Marr Chase, Aaron Donald and many more.”
According to the federal court filing, the parties signed the licensee agreement on May 23, 2023. By September 30 2024, the NFLPA moved to terminate the agreement based on failure to pay, the court document states. Less than two months later the union filed the arbitration grievance. A month later Saber counter-claimed for fraud and breach of contract, according to the lawsuit.
“On November 11, 2025 the Panel issued an interim award granting claimants motion for summary disposition on the merits of their breach-of-contract claims and granting Claimants’ motion to dismiss Saber counterclaims, finding that Saber’s contractual arguments for not paying all guaranteed amounts were `strained’ and erroneous and that Saber’s counterclaims were meritless as matter of law,” the court filing reads. There were three arbitrators on the panel.
The union then adds, “ Saber has not complied with the Corrected Final Award and has indicated that it has no intention of doing so.”
In a footnote, the NFLPA wrote that on May 6 Saber wired the union $1.44 million, but because the amount did not satisfy its demand, the union plans on returning the payment. The final award is $1.75 million in unpaid guaranteed payments; $286,774.19 for the license agreement; $172,947.93 in interest; $878,216 in attorney fees; $40,936 in other costs; and $102,953.69 in arbitration fees.
There are no receipts for Saber payments to the union in the NFLPA’s three most recent annual reports filed with the Department of Labor.
Saber Interactive was sold in March 2024–just months before the union filed its grievance–to Beacon Interactive for a $247 million https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/embracer-group-sells-off-space-marine-maker-saber-interactive-and-most-of-its-studios-for-dollar247-million-but-the-price-could-go-a-lot-higher/
According to its website, Saber is “a worldwide publisher and developer consisting of 13 studios in the Americas and Europe.”