Blizzard founder and ex-CEO Mike Morhaime has founded a new gaming company. Dreamhaven is a new publisher based in Irvine, CA which will create and publish new original projects. Two studios have already been set up under the Dreamhaven umbrella.
What exactly is Dreamhaven?
According to an official announcement, Dreamhaven came together around "a common goal to empower creators" and craft original gaming experiences. It's a company helmed by Morhaime and staffed by several ex-Blizzard employees who've worked on projects like Hearthstone, StarCraft II, and Heroes of the Storm. Luminaries joining Morhaime in this endeavor include Jason Chayes, Ben Thompson, and Dustin Browder. Let's take a look at the two studios Morhaime has already established under Dreamhaven.
Moonshot Games is led by the above three ex-Blizzard employees. Chayes previously led the Hearthstone team, Browder was game director for StarCraft II, and Thompson was Hearthstone's creative director. Dreamhaven also says that Moonshot is home to "a team of seasoned developers" in addition to the three key leading personnel. Chayes says Moonshot will be "a studio that celebrates curiosity and courage" and will create "a culture centered around trust".
Secret Door's key personnel are Chris Sigaty, Alan Dabiri, and Eric Dodds. Sigaty was the lead producer on the original WarCraft III, Dodds was Hearthstone's original game director and a designer on World of Warcraft, and Dabiri has worked in technical and game directing capacity on several Blizzard projects. Just like Moonshot, Secret Door also boasts a "team of highly talented developers" working under these three ex-Blizzard staffers. Sigaty says Dreamhaven and Secret Door are already providing an "unparalleled environment for creative collaboration".
What is Dreamhaven creator Mike Morhaime's industry history?
Morhaime was one of Blizzard Entertainment's three original founders. The studio was created back in 1991 as Silicon & Synapse, changing its name several times before settling on Blizzard in 1994. During Morhaime's time with Blizzard, he would oversee seminal games like Diablo, World of Warcraft, StarCraft II, and Overwatch. Morhaime would stay with Blizzard until October 2018, when he announced he was stepping down as its president and CEO. He was replaced by J. Allen Brack, who still holds the position. This is Morhaime's first gaming endeavor outside of Blizzard since he entered the industry. Neither Moonshot nor Secret Door have announced what their first projects will be yet. We'll bring you more on Dreamhaven as we get it.
What games would you like to see from these ex-Blizzard luminaries? Let us know in the comments below!
