Former co-founder and CEO of Blizzard Entertainment Mike Morhaime has just confirmed an all-new, Irvine-based gaming company called Dreamhaven.
As well as announcing the launch of the new company, he also announced the company’s first game development studios: Moonshot Games and Secret Door.
Although Dreamhaven is new, Morhaime has teamed up with other Blizzard veterans, which aim to “Take the chances that most big publishers won’t and many smaller studios aren’t always able to”. Morhaime also partners with his wife, Amy Morhaime who takes on the role as the head of company operations.
Morhaime said: “Amy had a ton of experience on the operational side…and I have a lot of experience in creating an environment for creators that enabled them to focus on the right things and a creative space that allows them to innovate. So we thought we could leverage that experience and our network to build something really awesome.”
The two studios under Dreamhaven also comprise of a wealth of development talent. Moonshot Games is led by ex-Blizzard executive producer Jason Chayes, former StarCraft 2 and Heroes of the Storm game director Dustin Browder, and former Hearthstone creative director Ben Thompson.
“When we think about Moonshot, we imagine a studio that celebrates curiosity and courage,” Chayes told The Verge. “We aspire to be bold in our approach, and we think the best way to do that is to create a culture centered around trust.”
Chayes also says that Moonshot broadly wants to work on “games that create a sense of wonder,” with a focus on cooperative play and shared stories.
Secret Door’s development team also includes a roster of talent, featuring Alan Dabiri (Heroes of the Storm game director), Chris Sigaty (StarCraft II executive producer), and Eric Dodds (original Hearthstone game director).
After stepping down from his role as president of Blizzard in late 2018, video game reporter Jason Schreier claims that Morhaime and his new team left Blizzard due to “Activision’s growing influence on Blizzard’s culture and process”.
Speaking to VentureBeat, Morhaime said his main hopes for Dreamhaven is to “create a haven for creators who want an environment that is development friendly, values product, and player experience over short-term financial pressures”.
No games are currently known to be in development at Moonshot Games or Secret Door, but keep a close eye on them in future!